01/26/2026 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

        HB 243-BARBER, HAIRDRESSER, ESTHETICS LICENSING                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:36:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced that the  final order of business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL NO. 243, "An  Act relating to the powers and duties                                                               
of the  Board of Barbers  and Hairdressers and the  Department of                                                               
Commerce, Community, and Economic  Development; and providing for                                                               
an effective date."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:37:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ASHLEY  CARRICK,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  as                                                               
prime  sponsor, presented  HB 243.   She  said that  the proposed                                                               
legislation would simply codify  existing practice with the Board                                                               
of Barbers  and Hairdressers.   She explained that  currently the                                                               
board has seven  members appointed by the  governor and confirmed                                                               
by  the legislature  for four-year  terms.   She noted  that like                                                               
some   other  boards   and  commissions,   these  are   voluntary                                                               
positions.  She  said that the board is composed  of one licensed                                                               
barber, two licensed hairdressers  or estheticians, licensed body                                                               
piercer  and tattoo  artist, a  licensed  manicurist, one  person                                                               
licensed for  something else regulated  by the board,  and lastly                                                               
one board  member from the public.   She said that  board members                                                               
are  often  working  in these  professions  as  small  businesses                                                               
themselves and volunteer to be on the board.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK  noted that  the purpose of  HB 243  is to                                                               
essentially prevent  the possibility for  licensure bottlenecking                                                               
in the  state which will  ensure that businesses can  continue to                                                               
provide operations without hinderance.   She explained that it is                                                               
currently  standard  practice  with  the board  to  delegate  its                                                               
licensing authority to the  Division of Corporations, Businesses,                                                               
and  Professional Licensing.   She  reiterated that  the proposed                                                               
legislation would "codify" this existing practice.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK said  that  the  sectional analysis  just                                                               
adds language that conforms to  existing practice.  The sectional                                                               
analysis [included in committee  file], read as follows [original                                                               
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1: Amends AS 08.13.030(b).                                                                                       
      Specifies the authority of the Board of Barbers and                                                                       
     Hairdressers to delegate licensing authority to                                                                            
      the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic                                                                       
     Development.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Section 2: Amends AS 08.13.030(c).                                                                                       
      Specifies that the Board of Barbers and Hairdressers                                                                      
     may refuse to issue licenses or permits.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Section 3: Amends AS 08.13.110(d)                                                                                        
      Conforming language relating to the changes made in                                                                       
     Section 1. Specifies that the Board may                                                                                    
       authorize the issuance of licenses or permits for                                                                        
     schools of manicuring.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Section 4: Immediate effective date.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK noted  that this  would clarify  that the                                                               
board would  be able not only  to issue licenses and  permits but                                                               
also refuse  licenses and permits.   She said that this  would be                                                               
added to the proposed statute  to ensure that this responsibility                                                               
is part of the board's purview.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:39:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KEVIN MCKINLEY,  Chair, Board of  Barbers and  Hairdressers, gave                                                               
invited testimony  in support of  HB 243.   He explained  that in                                                               
addition  to  his role  as  chair  of the  board,  he  is also  a                                                               
business  owner of  a tattoo  and  body piercing  shop with  four                                                               
locations in  Alaska.   He said  that he  has been  operating his                                                               
business for 35 years.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR.   MCKINLEY   said   that  previously   the   board   reviewed                                                               
applications and it was later  determined that there needed to be                                                               
a more efficient  way of approaching applications.   He said that                                                               
the  Department  of  Law  suggested   that  the  board  create  a                                                               
checklist  and  put it  into  regulation,  then the  Division  of                                                               
Corporations, Business  and Professional  Licensing could  use it                                                               
while reviewing applications.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. MCKINLEY explained  that recently the Department  of Law came                                                               
to the board and said  that it suggested that either applications                                                               
need to be  reviewed by the board  itself or there needs  to be a                                                               
change in  Alaska Statute.   He noted that the  board unanimously                                                               
voted to  have the statute  changed and  felt that it  would make                                                               
application processing more efficient.   He said that if the bill                                                               
does   not  pass,   then  the   application   backlog  would   be                                                               
substantial.  He noted that  in 2025, there were 971 applications                                                               
and this  would be difficult for  a board of seven  volunteers to                                                               
process.  He reiterated that  this statute would codify a current                                                               
working   process  with   the  intention   that  it   can  reduce                                                               
bottlenecks in the industry.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:42:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  told Mr.  McKinley that the  desire seems                                                               
intended to sanctify  an existing practice and  asked whether the                                                               
practice creates  any clouds  on the licenses  of those  who were                                                               
issued  licenses  before  the  proposed  legislation  might  take                                                               
effect.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. MCKINLEY  responded that he  was not sure that  he understood                                                               
the question.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER  asked  whether any  questions  could  be                                                               
raised about license validity once legislation goes into effect.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MCKINLEY  responded  that  this   may  be  a  question  best                                                               
addressed by Sylvan Robb.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:43:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SYLVAN  ROBB, Director,  Division of  Corporations, Business  and                                                               
Professional  Licensing, Department  of Commerce,  Community, and                                                               
Economic Development  responded that she  did not think  that any                                                               
current   licenses   were   in  jeopardy   given   the   proposed                                                               
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:44:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE  said that her understanding  is that the                                                               
licensing process  would go  through the  division as  opposed to                                                               
the board and asked whether this was a correct assumption.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK responded  that  it  still preserves  the                                                               
ability  of the  board to  conduct licensing  functions, but  the                                                               
legislation  permits the  board to  defer this  responsibility to                                                               
the division.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COULOMBE  asked  whether the  division  would  be                                                               
doing  the licensing  if the  Board of  Barbers and  Hairdressers                                                               
were disbanded.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK responded that  she was glad this question                                                               
was asked,  and the  Board of Barbers  and Hairdressers  did more                                                               
than  just  issue  licenses.   She  noted  that  having  licensed                                                               
professional  seats on  the board  is important  to navigate  the                                                               
profession.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:45:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced that HB 243 was held over.