Effective July 1, eyebrow threaders are exempt from cosmetology or esthetician licensing requirements in Kansas. Previously, threaders were required to be licensed as estheticians, completing 1,000 hours of cosmetology training unrelated to threading.
July 20, 2022
April 20, 2022
Tennessee: licensure law for online auctioneers declared unconstitutional
A US District Court judge has ruled that Tennessee's law requiring all auctioneers, including online auctioneers, to be licensed is unconstitutional, imposing an excessive burden on interstate commerce and violating the commerce clause of the US Constitution. The commerce clause gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states and has been interpreted as prohibiting states from passing legislation that burdens interstate commerce.
March 17, 2022
Update: Georgia court strikes down licensure requirement for lactation consultants
In an update on the case of Jackson vs. Raffensperger, a Georgia court has struck down a provision in the licensure requirement for lactation consultants. Lactation consultants in Georgia will no longer be required to obtain the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant certification.
March 09, 2022
Ontario considers fate of College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
A bill under consideration in Ontario would eliminate the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncturists of Ontario. If the legislation is approved, all current certificates of registration and authorization would be revoked, and any active investigations of practitioners would be halted. Chinese medicine practitioners would move to a voluntary registration system under the Health and Supportive Care Providers Oversight Authority. The government claims that the current regulatory system excludes prospective practitioners who speak only Cantonese or Mandarin due to language barriers on the required examinations.
January 26, 2022
Virginia: Executive Directive to further reduce regulations
In 2018, Virginia's governor issued an executive order for the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, the Department of Criminal Justice Services, and other Executive branch departments to reduce regulations by 25% in three years. Virginia's new governor has indicated deregulatory measures as a priority, supporting bills to analyze current regulations and remove unnecessary ones. He has issued an Executive Directive "to initiate regulatory processes to reduce by at least 25 percent the number of regulations not mandated by federal or state statute." The Directive also calls for a report from the Secretary of Finance about documentation of legislative mandates that direct agencies to promulgate regulatory requirements, whether exemptions from the Administrative Process Act should continue, and what efforts are needed to ensure consistency across agencies in the approach to regulatory development and review.
January 19, 2022
Attorneys General support state regulation of over-the-counter hearing aids
The US Food and Drug Administration is considering a proposal for a new category of over-the-counter hearing aids that could be sold directly to consumers without a medical exam or fitting by an audiologist. A coalition of 42 states and territories has submitted a letter urging the FDA to "clarify the impact of the proposed rule on state regulations related to all hearing aids," especially as related to consumer protections such as mandatory warranties, returns, and advertising restrictions.
November 18, 2021
Ohio think tank outlines licenses that could be eliminated
The Buckeye Institute has issued a report identifying more than 60 occupational licenses that should be eliminated or reformed as part of the effort to reduce business regulations to make the state more economically competitive. A bill currently under consideration would cut business regulations by 30% by 2024.
October 20, 2021
FDA draft guidelines for over-the-counter hearing aids
The FDA has released draft guidelines that would allow adults to purchase over-the-counter hearing aids online or at retail stores without a medical exam or fitting by a hearing care professional. The OTC devices will be intended for people with mild to moderate hearing loss who self-diagnose their level of hearing loss.
September 02, 2021
New licensing laws in effect in Texas
Several laws went into effect September 1 affecting the Texas department of Licensing and Regulation. The TDLR has been extended for 12 years, with the next sunset review scheduled for 2033. Some professions have been deregulated: polygraph examiners, wig stylists and wig salons, and combative sports event coordinator and others. The barbering program and the cosmetology program are combined into a new board. Under SB40 and HB4, telehealth and telemedicine will be allowed for programs administered by TDLR.
April 07, 2021
Wisconsin bill redefines barbering to exclude braiding
A bill under consideration in Wisconsin would amend the state's barbering law to exclude "twisting, wrapping, weaving, extending, locking, crocheting, or braiding hair" from the definition of barbering. The bill would allow natural hair braiders to practice without the requirement of a cosmetology or barbering license. Thirty other states already exempt hair braiders from cosmetology license requirements.
