19 March 2024

A Call to Action to Stop HB 2843: Dr. Farouk Shami Fights for Cosmetology Licensing Hours

Dr. Farouk Shami, Founder and Chairman of Farouk Systems, Inc. one of the largest professional haircare companies in the world has devoted over 30 years to educating the hairdresser.

To ensure that students have the same opportunity he has established over 500 CHI Partner Schools providing them with the necessary education, tools and opportunities the beauty industry offers. Most recently he has taken up the cause to increase licensing hours to 3000, instead of the proposal offered by a few Texas legislators to lower them from 1500 to 1000 hours.

The National Average is 1,544 hours. Currently 37 states require 1,500 – 1,600 hours. The states with greater than 1,500-hour requirements, such as Montana and Nebraska, are moving to 1,500 hours.

Less education is not better: Cosmetology is best learned through practice and application. Students must be given adequate time to learn by doing in a real, clinical salon setting. This is best done in school; under the supervision of trained instructors whose only job is to help students learn.  Students and the Texas public deserve to have trained professionals who are confident at their start of their career and ready to work.

Dr. Shami hosted a gathering for beauty school icons, Armstrong McCall store owners, barbering school owners and the petition writer who has been fighting for this change. The increase in hours proposed by Dr. Farouk Shami include more “accounting, chemistry, marketing and business classes”.   This will help give stylists stronger skills to excel in the Beauty and Barber Industry.  We believe the extra course hours should be recognized as college credits thus improving our industry not reducing education to our industry.

HB 2843 is the bill that will reduce the hours for a cosmetology license from 1,500 to 1,000. HB 2843 was heard in the House Higher Ed Committee on April 10. The link to that committee’s webpage is: https://capitol.texas.gov/Committees/MembershipCmte.aspx?LegSess=86R&CmteCode=C290

HB 2843 has three sections:

Section 1 adds approval to the steps that TDLR may take to develop and administer the licensing exams.
Section 2 modifies the barbering and cosmetology exams requirements by allowing students to take the exam after 1,000 hours of instruction in any of the three programs.
Section 3 allows the TDLR to approve the administration of the exams by public secondary schools, post-secondary, barber school or private beauty school, or at the Windham School District (the state penitentiary school district).

Cosmetology and barbering experts appreciate the attendees for taking the time to join together as an industry to protect the future of the Cosmetology and Barbering and particularly, the quality of the cosmetology and barbering education programs in our high schools, community colleges, and career schools. Any legislation that could reduce licensing requirements to 1,000 hours or allow students to take the practical exam after 1,000 hours of instruction must be stopped. HB 2843 could be considered by the House Higher Education Committee for a vote as early as April 24. HB 2843 will reduce the required hours for cosmetology and barbering licenses.

Use this link for the bill: https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=86R&Bill=HB2843

The call to action includes HB 1705 & HB 2444/1507, with the request to:
– Call and write to the House Higher Education Committee members.
– Call and write the House Committee on Licensing & Administrative Procedures members.
– Encourage all hair stylist, Educators, Salon owners, and School owners to do the same.

Dr. Shami says, “Our industry must stand strong allowing the future of industry to remain professional and help students receive the finest education so they are fully prepared. Reducing the required hours would only cheat students out of the necessary skills, training and knowledge they need to be successful.

More Study Required Before Changing Statutes: The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), the National Governors Association (NGA), and the Council for State Governments are working on a 3-year study with a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to identify barriers to work from occupational licensing and increasing licensing portability. Efforts to reform licensed occupations should be put on hold until this study is complete.

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