BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2523

By: Hernandez

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that current sanitation requirements relating to cosmetologists and cosmetology facilities are outdated. C.S.H.B. 2523 seeks to update those sanitation regulations to be consistent with industry standards and to allow a private beauty culture school or a licensed vocational cosmetology program in a public school to administer cosmetology licensing exams.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2523 amends the Occupations Code to require sanitation rules adopted by the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation to prevent the spread of an infectious or contagious disease that are applicable to an individual or facility regulated under statutory provisions relating to cosmetologists to be consistent with the standards and terminology related to safety and sanitation that are commonly used in the cosmetology industry. The bill authorizes the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) to approve examinations required under statutory provisions relating to regulation of barbering and cosmetology, including the administration of the examinations. The bill authorizes a barber school, private beauty culture school, or public secondary or postsecondary beauty culture school that is approved by TDLR to administer such an examination under those provisions.   

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2523 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute includes a provision authorizing TDLR to approve examinations required under statutory provisions relating to regulation of barbering and cosmetology, including the administration of the examinations.

The substitute adds a barber school to the schools authorized to administer a practical examination for barbers and cosmetologists and changes a school authorized to administer such a practical examination from a vocational cosmetology program in a public school to a public secondary or postsecondary beauty culture school approved by TDLR.