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Bill

S 3445

Modifies membership of New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Jim Beach and 1 co-sponsor

Rebalances the New Jersey Cosmetology Board to broaden licensee representation across professions and add school-education seats, while reducing public member slots.

Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Regulated Professions Committee
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Bill Summary · S 3445

Overview

S 3445 (Session 222, New Jersey) proposes changes to the membership composition of the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling. The bill aims to revise who can serve on the board and how many public members and industry licensees are represented. It would amend P.L.1984, c.205 to modify both the mix of public versus professional members and the professional categories permitted among the licensed appointees.

Main purpose and intent

  • Rebalance the board’s membership to include fewer public members and create representation from additional educational settings (public and private vocational/licensed schools of cosmetology and hairstyling).
  • Replace the prior structure that primarily designates six board seats to licensed professionals (cosmetologists/hairstylists/barbers) with a structure that allows any licensee issued by the board (not limited to certain professions) to fill those seats.
  • Maintain key non-professional representation (one State executive department member and two hair braiding shop owners/operators), while adjusting the public representation to two public members, plus one person representing public school vocational programs and one representing licensed private schools.

Key provisions and changes

  • Board size and composition: The board remains within the Division of Consumer Affairs but its specific member mix is revised.
    • Public members: Reduced from three public members and one additional public member to two public members.
    • Public education representation: Adds one member representing public school vocational programs in cosmetology and hairstyling.
    • Private school representation: Adds one member representing licensed private schools of cosmetology and hairstyling.
    • Licensed professionals: The six seats previously reserved for professionals “licensed in the professions for which the board issues a license” (formerly limited to beauty/cultural disciplines) would be filled by licensees from any board-licensed professions, broadening eligibility to all licensed practitioners the board governs.
  • Special positions: The board would still appoint one State executive department member and two owners/operators of a hair braiding shop in the State.
  • Text note: The bill’s changes appear to align with a broader cross-professional representation rather than a fixed set of cosmetology-related practitioners.

Who is affected

  • Prospective and current board members: The eligibility and composition requirements for those serving on the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling would change accordingly.
  • Licensees: Practitioners licensed by the board (cosmetologists, hairstylists, barbers, and potentially other board-licensed professions) may be eligible to serve as board members under the revised framework.
  • Educational entities: Public and private cosmetology/hairstyling schools, including vocational programs, would gain designated representation on the board.
  • Public consumers: Public interest remains represented by the executive department member and the two public members, with updated public representation.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective date: Immediate upon enactment.
  • Background and status: The bill has progressed through committee action, with amendments reported (as of June 24, 2026), and initial readings and referrals noted earlier in 2026.
  • Legislative workflow: The bill follows standard passage steps (introduction, committee review, amendments, floor votes, and potential enactment).

Overall, S 3445 reorganizes board representation to incorporate broader professional diversity and educational sector input while reducing explicit public member slots.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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