This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Ending years of fights between beauticians and hair braiders, the Legislature on Friday approved a bill clipping away requirements that only licensed beauticians may charge to braid hair.
The Senate unanimously approved HB238, and sent it to Gov. Gary Herbert for his signature.
For years, the issue led to overflow crowds in long hearings. The state recently decided to allow only those with cosmetology licenses — which require 2,000 hours of training — to charge for hair braiding. That led to a federal lawsuit, which the state lost last year.
Besides helping hair braiders, HB238 also gives some help to beauticians. It reduces the hours of training required for them to receive a license from 2,000 to 1,600. It also makes it easier to obtain a Utah license for beauticians who move here from states where fewer hours of training are required, by counting their salon work toward the total hours needed for a Utah license.
Lee Davidson