Occupations: barbers; required hours of course study for licensure; modify. Amends secs. 1108 & 1110 of 1980 PA 299 (MCL 339.1108 & 339.1110).
HB4927 would amend Michigan’s Occupational Code to reduce the training-hour requirements for barber licensure and barber college/apprenticeship programs. For initial barber licensure, the bill lowers the required barber college course of study from 1,800 hours to 1,500 hours and lowers the apprenticeship pathway from 1,800 hours to 1,500 hours. It also updates the rules for applicants trained outside Michigan, allowing experience to substitute for instruction under specified ratios and documentation requirements, while preserving limits on substituting experience for safety, sanitation, and legal instruction.
The bill also revises barber college standards. It reduces the practical training requirement for barber colleges from 1,575 hours to 1,275 hours, while keeping the 225 hours of classroom study. Other provisions continue to regulate instructor ratios, sanitation, facility separation, licensing display, and the curriculum, and the bill allows limited sharing of facilities with state-licensed cosmetology schools and up to 1,000 hours of cosmetology instruction to count toward barber training when substantially similar. The bill takes effect 18 months after enactment.
HB4927 would amend MCL 339.1108 and 339.1110 in the Occupational Code, changing the minimum education and training standards for barber licensure and barber college operation in Michigan. It would lower the hours required for both barber school and apprenticeship pathways, adjust cross-state and foreign training credit rules, and preserve the department’s authority over licensure, discipline, inspections, and rulemaking. The bill affects barber colleges, barbershops offering apprenticeships, cosmetology students seeking barber credentials, and applicants trained in other jurisdictions.
The available voting history suggests strong support for the bill. It was reported from committee twice with unanimous votes and then passed the House on third reading with 103 yeas and 0 nays, indicating broad agreement among legislators. No committee transcripts were provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate in the materials beyond the votes and the substitute bill status.
No explicit controversy appears in the provided materials, but the bill’s main policy change is a reduction in required training hours, which could be a point of concern for those prioritizing consumer protection, training depth, or professional standards. By contrast, supporters would likely view the bill as improving access to the profession, reducing barriers to entry, and making Michigan’s barber licensing pathway more flexible and aligned with related cosmetology training. The bill also maintains several safeguards—such as exam requirements, supervision rules, recordkeeping, and sanitation standards—which may have helped limit opposition.