AN ACT APPROVING THE EXPENDITURE OF SPECIAL FUNDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE EXPENSES OF THE STATE BOARD OF COSMETOLOGY AND BARBERING FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2027.
Summary
HB1907 is the Fiscal Year 2027 appropriation bill for the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. It authorizes $1,806,579 in special funds to support the board’s operations from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, including funding for salaries, wages, fringe benefits, and vacancy funding for 14 permanent positions. The bill also sets out spending limits and administrative conditions for personal services, requires compliance with the state variable compensation plan, and restricts transfers or salary escalations without proper approval and proof of available funds.
Beyond the appropriation itself, the bill includes operational and regulatory directives for the board. It sets performance targets for examinations, licensing, inspections, complaint resolution, and disciplinary actions; limits board meetings to no more than 62 days per year; requires detailed accounting and personnel records; and provides for procurement preferences for the Mississippi Industries for the Blind. It also authorizes payment of certain Fiscal Year 2026 vendor obligations incurred during a period when no board members were appointed, and it allocates funds for any information technology charges tied to cloud migration under the Cloud Center of Excellence Act.
Impact
The bill primarily affects state budget law and agency administration rather than changing the underlying cosmetology and barbering licensure statutes. It appropriates special funds to the State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering, establishes how those funds may be used, and imposes conditions on personnel spending, vacancy funding, and escalation of positions. It also reinforces existing compliance requirements under Mississippi’s performance budgeting, procurement, and fiscal control laws, while directing the board to maintain records and meet specified service benchmarks.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial in the Legislature. It passed the House 118-1, passed the Senate 51-0 as amended, and then the House concurred in the Senate amendment by 118-2. The strong vote totals suggest general agreement with funding the board’s operations and with the bill’s administrative controls.
Contention
There was little visible substantive controversy in the available record, and no committee transcript excerpts were provided. The only notable policy language in the bill concerns the board’s handling of “wigology” and legacy wig specialist and wig salon licenses, which appears to preserve pre-2014 license holders while preventing new wigology licenses. The bill also contains a retroactive-sounding provision allowing payment of vendors for services rendered during a period when the board lacked appointed members, but the voting history suggests these issues did not generate significant opposition.