To amend section 4731.33 and to enact section 4731.331 of the Revised Code regarding the application of light-based medical devices for the purpose of hair removal.
SB 226 revises Ohio law governing who may apply light-based medical devices, such as lasers, for hair removal and under what supervision. The bill amends existing section 4731.33 and adds a new section 4731.331 to create a more detailed framework for physician delegation, training, supervision, documentation, and reporting of adverse effects. It defines key terms such as “light-based medical device,” “laser hair removal professional,” “on-site supervision,” “off-site supervision,” and “direct physical oversight,” and limits delegation to specified categories of practitioners.
Under the bill, a physician may delegate laser hair removal only if the device is FDA-cleared or approved for hair removal, the use is within the physician’s normal practice, and the physician has evaluated the patient before treatment and after the first application. Eligible delegates include physician assistants, certain nurses, and certain laser hair removal professionals, including individuals who previously held a cosmetic therapist license or who complete specified education, observation, and supervised-procedure requirements. The bill also allows advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants, subject to their existing practice arrangements and statutory requirements, to delegate and supervise these services in the same manner as physicians.
The bill would substantially restructure Ohio’s medical-practice rules for laser hair removal by replacing the current section 4731.33 and creating a new section 4731.331 that extends delegation authority beyond physicians to advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants in limited circumstances. It would set statewide standards for training hours, clinical observation, supervised procedures, patient evaluation, documentation, and maximum numbers of supervisees, while also establishing reporting duties for side effects and treatment failures. The measure affects the Medical Board’s enforcement framework by making violations of its supervision and delegation rules professional misconduct or unauthorized practice, depending on the actor involved, and by tying compliance to existing disciplinary statutes for physicians, nurses, and physician assistants.
No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no recorded debate or roll-call history to gauge formal support or opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a regulatory clarification and expansion of permissible delegation rather than a major policy shift, suggesting a generally technical or professional-practice-oriented purpose. The detailed training and supervision requirements indicate an effort to balance access to laser hair removal services with patient safety concerns.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the scope of delegation and supervision, especially the bill’s authorization for off-site supervision in some circumstances and its extension of authority to advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants. Another likely issue is whether the training thresholds are sufficient: the bill creates different pathways for experienced cosmetic therapists, new laser hair removal professionals, nurses, and physician assistants, which could raise concerns about consistency and safety. The limits on the number of delegates a physician may supervise at one time, and the requirement that only certain individuals may receive delegation, are also likely to be focal points for practitioners concerned about workforce flexibility versus patient protection.