Requires training of cosmetologists-hairstylists, beauticians, barbers, and hair braiders to include working on textured hair.

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Angela McKnight and 2 co-sponsors

Requires cosmetology and barbering programs and exams to include trained techniques for textured hair (coiled, curly, wavy) within existing hours.

Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee

#professions

Main purpose and intent

S.2495 directs the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling to ensure that licensed schools and the Board’s licensure examinations cover techniques for working with textured hair (defined in the bill as hair that is coiled, curly, or wavy). The intent is to improve practitioner competency serving clients with textured hair and to ensure licensure testing evaluates that competency.

Key provisions

Curriculum requirement: The Board must establish requirements that licensed cosmetology-hairstyling, beauty culture, barbering, and hair braiding schools include training on working with textured hair as part of their existing curriculum. Required training topics include:

various coil, curl, and wave patterns;
variations in hair strand thickness; and
different hair volumes.

Hours: The textured-hair training is not intended to increase the total required hours of instruction for each profession; it must be included within the current curriculum/hours.

Examinations: The written and practical portions of the licensure examination for cosmetology-hairstyling, beauty culture, barbering, and hair braiding must include textured hair subject matter.

Definition: “Textured hair” is defined as hair that is coiled, curly, or wavy.

Board composition (committee amendment): One member of the State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling must have experience and training in providing services to individuals with textured hair.

Who is affected

Students and trainees enrolled in licensed cosmetology, beauty culture, barbering, and hair braiding programs in New Jersey.

Licensed applicants who will be tested on textured-hair skills on written and practical exams.

Licensed schools and instructors, which will need to integrate textured-hair content and may need to update teaching materials or training methods.

The New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling, which must adopt the curricular and exam requirements and adjust board membership per the amendment.

Consumers, particularly those with textured hair, who may receive improved service quality.

Implementation and timeline notes

The bill requires Board action to establish specific curricular and testing standards; implementation will likely occur through Board rulemaking and updates to examination content and school approvals.

Legislative progress (high-level): Passed the Senate (37–0) on 5/20/2024; reported out of Senate committee with amendments 5/13/2024; later reported in Assembly committees (Labor; Regulated Professions) and, as of 11/24/2025, reported out of an Assembly committee with amendments and referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. (Status: reported out of Assembly Committee with amendments and referred to Assembly Appropriations.)

Potential impacts and considerations

Positive consumer protection and equity effect by better preparing licensees to serve textured-hair clients.

Administrative workload for the Board and schools to revise curricula, instructor training, and exam content — but the bill specifies no increase in total instructional hours.

May require recruitment or appointment of a qualified Board member with textured-hair service experience.

Bill