Kansas House Bill HB2338

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/7/25
• Refer: 2/7/25
• Report Pass: 2/18/25
• Engrossed: 2/25/25
• Refer: 2/26/25
• Report Pass: 3/14/25
• Enrolled: 3/25/25
• Passed: 4/10/25

Caption

Authorizing the board of cosmetology to issue temporary location and temporary guest artist permits and establishing criteria therefor.

Summary

HB2338 amends Kansas cosmetology law to create two new short-term permit categories administered by the Kansas State Board of Cosmetology: a temporary location permit and a demonstration temporary guest artist permit. The bill allows the board to issue a temporary location permit to an otherwise qualified cosmetology professional, including an out-of-state licensee whose license is active and not revoked, suspended, or conditioned. It also allows the board to issue a demonstration temporary guest artist permit for services at state or national conventions, licensed establishments, or other board-approved event locations. The bill also addresses applicants who are foreign nationals and have not been issued a Social Security number. In those cases, the board may not require a Social Security number and must accept a valid visa or passport identification number instead. Both permits expire no later than 14 days after issuance, and the board is directed to adopt rules and regulations to implement the new permit process. The bill amends and repeals the existing version of K.S.A. 65-1958 and makes the changes part of the broader cosmetology licensing framework in K.S.A. 65-1940 through 65-1954.

Impact

HB2338 changes Kansas cosmetology licensing law by expanding the Board of Cosmetology’s authority to issue short-duration permits for temporary work locations and guest artist demonstrations. It affects cosmetologists and other professionals regulated under K.S.A. 65-1940 through 65-1954, especially out-of-state practitioners, convention participants, and foreign applicants without Social Security numbers. The bill also requires board rulemaking and updates the statutory section governing demonstration permits.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the House 121-2 and the Senate 38-2, indicating strong agreement that the permit structure is a practical licensing adjustment. The vote margins suggest the measure was viewed as a limited, administrative change rather than a controversial policy shift.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are administrative and eligibility-related rather than ideological. The bill gives the board discretion to approve temporary locations and event sites, which may raise questions about how broadly those permits will be used and how the board will define acceptable events. Another possible issue is the foreign-applicant provision, which substitutes visa or passport identification for a Social Security number; while this appears intended to remove a barrier for eligible applicants, it could prompt concern from those focused on licensing verification and documentation standards.