Requires appearance enhancement business and cosmetology licensees and trainees to disclose the price of cosmetology services
Summary
A11174 would add a new section to New York’s General Business Law requiring appearance enhancement businesses, cosmetology licensees, and trainees to disclose pricing information for cosmetology services. The bill requires disclosure at multiple points: when an appointment is booked, before services begin, when services change, and before payment is accepted. It also defines “disclosure” broadly to include written or verbal descriptions of the services to be performed and the rules surrounding those services.
The bill further requires businesses to post conspicuous price lists wherever services can be booked, at counters or desks where orders are placed, and at payment locations. Those postings must show the current price of basic services, explain factors that can increase the price, and provide the range of possible additional charges when those factors apply. A violation would carry a civil penalty of $500 per violation, in addition to any other penalties already available under the article, and the act would take effect 90 days after becoming law.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would amend the General Business Law by creating a new pricing-disclosure requirement for cosmetology and appearance enhancement services. It would directly affect salons, cosmetology businesses, licensed practitioners, and trainees by imposing affirmative notice and posting obligations, and it would give state enforcement authorities an additional civil penalty tool for noncompliance. Consumers would gain clearer advance information about service costs and potential add-on charges.
Sentiment
The available record shows the bill was introduced and referred to the Assembly Committee on Economic Development, but there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials. Based on the bill text, the measure appears consumer-protection oriented, aiming to improve price transparency and reduce surprise charges. Because no debate or vote history is included, there is no documented opposition or support to characterize beyond the bill’s apparent policy purpose.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the burden the bill places on small businesses and individual licensees to provide detailed disclosures and maintain posted price lists, especially where service prices vary based on hair type, service complexity, or other factors. Another possible issue is the scope of what must be disclosed, since the bill requires not only base prices but also factors that may increase prices and ranges of additional charges. No specific objections or supporters are identified in the provided record, so these concerns are inferred from the bill’s requirements rather than from stated testimony.
Same As
Requires appearance enhancement business and cosmetology licensees and trainees to disclose the price of cosmetology services both verbally and through signage.
Requires appearance enhancement business and cosmetology licensees and trainees to disclose the price of cosmetology services both verbally and through signage.