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HB 5786

Occupations: barbers; required hours of course study for licensure; modify. Amends secs. 1108 & 1110 of 1980 PA 299 (MCL 339.1108 & 339.1110).

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by Jaime Churches

lowers barber licensure hours from 1,800 to 1,500, allowing more substitution from cosmetology and letting LARA set classroom vs practical split.

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
#occupations:barbers #occupations:individuallicensingandregistration #stateagencies(existing):licensingandregulatoryaffairs
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Bill Summary · HB 5786

HB 5786 — Summary: Barber licensure education requirements

Sponsor: Rep. Jaime Churches
Statutory changes: Amends 1980 PA 299, sections 1108 and 1110 (MCL 339.1108 & 339.1110)
Subject: Barber occupations; barber college and apprenticeship hour requirements
Fiscal impact: No state or local fiscal impact reported (House Fiscal Agency)

Purpose / Intent

HB 5786 reduces the minimum required instructional hours to obtain a barber license in Michigan and updates barber college licensing language to reflect the new hour requirement. The stated policy intent is to align Michigan’s training requirement with the majority of other states, making entry into the barber profession and interstate portability easier.

Key provisions

  • Lowers the minimum required course or apprenticeship hours for barber licensure from 1,800 hours to 1,500 hours. This applies to:
    • Completion of a barber college course of study; or
    • Completion of a barber apprenticeship program.
  • Updates barber college licensing requirements to require a total 1,500-hour educational program (the prior statute specified 225 classroom + 1,575 practical hours). Under HB 5786 the specific split between classroom and practical hours is to be set by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) through rulemaking.
  • Leaves in place the ability for barber college students to substitute up to 1,000 hours of substantially similar instruction from a cosmetology school toward the barber program. Because the total required hours would drop to 1,500, this increases the share of required hours that may be substituted from about 56% to about 67% (1,000/1,500 ≈ 66.7%).
  • Retains existing apprenticeship program requirements (attendance caps, recordkeeping, grading, required examinations before certification, sanitation and instructor staffing standards for barber colleges, bond requirement, etc.), other than the reduction in the total required hours.

Who is affected

  • Prospective barbers (students and apprentices): reduced time and training hours required to sit for licensure.
  • Barber colleges and barbershops that operate apprenticeship programs: will need to adjust curricula and tracking to the new 1,500-hour standard; LARA will set hour breakdowns by rule.
  • Licensed barbers moving from other states: potentially easier portability if other states have lower hour requirements.
  • Cosmetology students seeking credit toward a barber program: substitution becomes a larger percentage of the required program.

Procedural status / timeline

  • Introduced: June 6, 2024 (Rep. Jaime Churches).
  • Reported by committee and placed on floor calendar Nov–Dec 2024.
  • Passed by the Michigan House (roll call reported; immediate effect granted) in December 2024.
  • Transmitted to the Senate and referred to Committee on Government Operations; also appears referred to a Joint Committee on Public Safety and Security (legislative action entries through Jan 21, 2025).

Fiscal note and policy context

  • House Fiscal Agency: no fiscal impact to state or local government.
  • Supporters: argued the change aligns Michigan with most other states (many of which require 1,500 hours or less), easing access to the profession and improving labor mobility.
  • LARA rulemaking will be required to specify the classroom vs. practical training breakdown for the new 1,500-hour program.

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

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