When NAILS last reported on the sunset review process in Alabama, the Board of Cosmetology was reviewing the provisions and authorization of Alabama’s managing manicurist, manicure instructor, manicure salon, and manicure school licenses. State auditors and legal counsel auditing Alabama’s board were considering removing the licenses because the state had not made proper allowances to collect fees associated with them.

 

If the licenses are ultimately removed, Alabama nail salon owners would have to hire licensed cosmetologists to keep their salons open. (For more information, see October 1998, page 118).

 

When the state legislature came back into session this spring, members of the congress reviewed Bill #152 substitute, which was designed to help make improvements for the nail industry in Alabama and solve the problems unearthed by the sunset review. At press time, the bill was still in the legislature.

 

Among other things, the substitute bill calls for an increased number of school hours. According to jean Parker, director of cosmetology at Wallace State Community College and co-author of Bill #152 substitute, a licensed nail tech would have to have 600 school hours, instead of the current 300. “There are just some things that students can not learn in the current 300 hours of instruction,” says Wallace, who has also been fighting (along with fellow nail technicians) to keep the licensing structure for managing manicurists, manicure instructors, manicure salons, and manicure schools. If the bill passes, it would be possible for Alabama’s state board to start making administrative laws, including that allowance of nails-only schools, and manicurist-owned salons.

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