Oct. 03, 2023
HARRISBURG – The House Professional Licensure Committee today reported out legislation sponsored by Rep. Zach Mako (R-Lehigh/Northampton) to address the lack of barber-teachers in Pennsylvania.
“This is the fourth legislative session that I have introduced a bill on this topic,” Mako said. “Barber shops and hair salons were hit hard by the pandemic. Add to this that there continues to be a shortage of barber-teachers in the Commonwealth, and we have a recipe for an issue in the future. Without barber-teachers, barber schools will be forced to close thus reducing the opportunities for training. We need to make this change now, so that finding a barber in the future doesn’t become difficult.”
House Bill 327 would lower the age an applicant is eligible to take the barber-teacher examination from 23 to 18 years of age; reduce the minimum training hours to become a licensed barber-teacher from 1,250 to 500 hours; allow people currently holding both a cosmetology and barber license to obtain a barber-teacher license if the person completes the training and examination required for licensure as either a barber-teacher or cosmetology teacher; and allow a barber-teacher currently licensed in another state with substantially similar licensing requirements as Pennsylvania to be granted a barber-teacher license with examination.
The bill now goes before the full House for consideration.
The 183rd House District includes Lowhill and North Whitehall townships and Slatington Borough in Lehigh County. It also consists of Allen, East Allen, Lehigh and Moore (part) townships, and Bath, North Catasauqua, Northampton and Walnutport boroughs in Northampton County.
Representative Zachary Mako
183rd Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tracy Polovick
717.260.6358
tpolovick@pahousegop.com
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