Ohio lawmakers are holding hearings on a bill that would reduce the number of hours required to become a licensed cosmetologist or barber. It's an issue that's been debated in the legislature for years.
Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) says reducing the required hours of training to become a cosmetologist or barber lowers the hurdles for a person wanting to join the profession in Ohio.
"Individuals that want to work. A lot of them would be single moms and they want to be able to get a job and not have to incur this huge amount, excessive amount of tuition," she said.
Currently to get a license, a barber needs 1,800 hours of training. For a cosmetologist, 1,500 hours of training. The bill, SB133, would cut the hours for both professions to 1,000 hours.
Roegner has introduced similar legislation in the past, dating back to 2017 (HB189) when it was a bipartisan bill with a Democratic co-sponsor.
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