Iowa bill could shave off requirements for barbers, cosmetologists to earn licenses
A bill that could lead to new pathways for barbers and hairstylists to earn their licenses is making its way through the Iowa legislature.
'I feel like we just need to have more than one pathway,' Craig Hunt, a licensed barber, told Our Quad Cities News.
House File 711 would create a general training program that allows unlicensed individuals to work under supervisors in barbershops and hair salons, and ultimately earn a license. The program would be paid.
'There's only 1,000 licensed barbers in the state, and one of the reasons there is only 1,000 licensed barbers is because we are already forced to learn cosmetology, even when we went to barber school,' Hunt said. 'Now we are forced to take a strict cosmetology test.'
Some of the push-back on the bill includes the thought there could be a drop-off in quality of work and customer safety protocols not being taught.
'It's not changing the number of hours required to obtain a barber or cosmetology license,' Hunt said. 'It's currently 1,550 hours if you go the school route. Before I can even take him on, he has to take a health and sanitation course that he has to pass.'Ramiro Kepford, owner of Haus of Heir in Davenport, also sees the bill as beneficial.
'I think it's on us as an industry as a whole,' Kepford said. 'I think once they are in here we can kind of dictate what they are learning and really make sure they are coming out of that training program ready to go.'
The bill advanced through the Iowa House, but it still needs Senate and governor approval to become law.
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