Senate Bill 2066, authored by Sen. Angela Hill, would allow a person to shampoo other people’s hair without having to obtain a time-consuming and irrelevant cosmetology license, which requires 1,500 hours of training.
Under the proposed legislation, a person could obtain a permit to shampoo hair after 40 hours of training. A permit would not be required if the shampooist is working under the supervision of a licensed cosmetologist.
Currently, 7 states require a specific license to be able to work as a shampooist, and 30 more, including Mississippi, require a full cosmetology license. In 14 states, one does not need a license to work as a shampooist.
Shampooing is a safe practice. Most people do it almost every day. A person with a shampooist permit would be limited in the chemicals they use, unlike a cosmetologist.
Shampooists can increase the number of customers served by a cosmetologist, by performing some of the simpler tasks, freeing cosmetologists up for the tasks that require more expertise. Shampooing can be a path to gain some experience before training to become a cosmetologist.
Mississippi has a recent history of freeing safe beauty professions from burdensome regulations. The result has been more people working, with few-to-no complaints. This would be another step in that positive direction: removing unnecessary barriers to work and opportunity.
Empower Mississippi supports this legislation.
SB 2066 has been referred to the Senate Public Health Committee. You can read the bill here.
