Jordan Redman — The chair welcomed the committee and explained that the Vice Chair role rotates each meeting.
Jordan Redman — Jordan Redman is repeatedly addressed as Mr. Chairman/Chairman during the meeting, and the discussion then continues into his substantive questions about a course requirement. He asks whether there is a test at the end of the course, follows up on whether the testing is working and whether Ms. Clark is satisfied with the results, and concludes that the combination of proof of work and a competency test provides a standard for determining whether someone is ready to enter the field.
Jordan Redman — During the questioning, the chair is repeatedly addressed as the discussion focuses on apprenticeship and licensure hour requirements. The speaker asks for clarification about the bill, including whether apprenticeship hours are being reduced from 4,000 to 2,000, references prior committee debates over lowering hours, and questions the necessity and impact of the proposed changes. The chair also interjects to clarify limits on what can be done and to move the questioning along.
Jordan Redman — Jordan Redman, acting as chair, is addressed during an objection about the vote and a missed light. He then responds that the bill was held in committee and that there will be an opportunity for debate on the RS.
Brent Crane — Representative Crane was named as the Vice Chair for this meeting.
Brent Crane — Representative Crane was identified as the Vice Chair.
Brent Crane — Representative Crane made the motion to introduce the RS.
Brent Crane — Representative Crane asked for Bowman’s name again, then followed up on cosmetology licensure issues by asking about reciprocity for out-of-state licenses and acknowledging the explanation. He then shifted to questioning why the proposal reduces cosmetology training hours from 1,600 to 1,000, continuing the same discussion about licensing standards.
Brent Crane — Asked whether the sponsor intended to hold House Bill 513, introduce the RS, and send it to second reading.
Brent Crane — Sought confirmation that the sponsor wanted to hold House Bill 513, introduce the RS, and send it to second reading.
Brent Crane — Said he wants incoming cosmetologists from California to be able to start work on day one in Idaho and asked whether that is in the RS.
Brent Crane — Followed up with a suggestion that Idaho recognize licensed barbers or cosmetologists from other states.
Brent Crane — Suggested Idaho recognize licensed barbers or cosmetologists from other states as a simple solution.
Brent Crane — Asked Ms. Clark whether she was an instructor; thanked her after she confirmed 27 years of instruction.
Brent Crane — The transcript appears to identify the next speaker as Representative Birch, likely Representative Brent Crane or another member; the text is uncertain and should be treated cautiously.
Brent Crane — Representative Crane followed up after Caitlin O'Neill's testimony by asking about the cost of attending cosmetology school and how financial aid affected the amount of debt students incur, including a question about the typical tuition for these schools.
Brent Crane — His suggestion for reciprocity was addressed by the sponsor.
Brent Crane — Moved to hold House Bill 513 in committee.
Brent Crane — Objected that the vote moved too quickly and said he wanted to ask the sponsor a question.
Brent Crane — Registered an objection that the committee moved too quickly and did not debate the testimony.
Brent Crane — Said the committee moved too quickly and did a disservice to citizens who testified.
Brent Crane — Made a motion regarding RS 33099.
Brent Crane — Referenced as someone who could give procedural training and as the mover of the motion.
Brent Crane — Referenced in a procedural joke about giving members training on procedure.
Brent Crane — Said he communicated with Representative Baylor and will support introduction, while criticizing licensing requirements.
Brent Crane — Continued arguing that competition is good and said he would support removing the license entirely in the future.
Brent Crane — Referenced as having similar long-term experience with the issue.
Steve Berch — Representative Steve Berch is called on and then asks whether military chaplain training is equivalent to licensed counselor training.
Steve Berch — Expressed concern that lowering standards could produce poorly qualified applicants and lead to safety problems.
Steve Berch — Likely intended by the transcript as 'Representative Baylor'; context indicates a member was speaking during follow-up, but the exact name is uncertain.
Steve Berch — Asked permission to have additional opposition emails copied and shared with the committee before public testimony began.
Steve Berch — Steve Berch questioned the witness about the consequences of reducing required training hours to 1,000, asking whether that would force instructors to cherry-pick curriculum and whether salon owners would need to supplement the training in-house and restrict new hires from treating clients until they completed the remaining instruction.
Steve Berch — Steve Berch briefly joked about needing extra procedural training, apologized for not fully understanding the process, and clarified that the current moment was the opportunity to debate the testimony just heard. He then said he would honor the expertise of the public witnesses and would not support the motion. A later reference noted him as opposing the motion.
Steve Berch — Representative Berch argued in favor of licensure and regulation, saying the committee should consider the need to balance free market principles with public safety and consumer protection, and concluded by stating support for the motion.
Jeff Cornilles — Jeff Cornelis of District 12 in Nampa introduced himself and presented the proposal on behalf of constituents who brought the issue to him after a restroom-access problem involving a spouse with Crohn’s disease. He explained that a downtown Nampa incident last year motivated the measure and described the idea of allowing people with a diagnosis and a doctor’s note to present documentation in order to gain restroom access.
Jeff Cornilles — Representative Jeff Ehlers introduced himself and responded to questions about reciprocity and training-hour requirements. He argued that Idaho would still not be lower than any other state at 1,000 hours, cited Texas as an example where reduced hours did not harm outcomes or standards, and said health and safety content is already built into the 1,000-hour curriculum along with important on-the-job training. He then said the reduced hours would not require program changes and offered to continue answering questions. In follow-up, he confirmed that was the intent and addressed concerns about incoming students from other states, saying they would not be required to complete additional education hours, while noting he would consider the issue further and provide a more definitive answer by the end of the hearing.
Jeff Ehlers — Representative Jeff Ehlers introduced House Bill 513, explained its purpose, and then yielded time to Alyssa Bowman, noting that he had been working with her on the bill. Bowman responded by thanking him, acknowledging that he had covered some of her talking points, and later referenced his explanation of the bill’s benefits.
Jeff Ehlers — Identified himself as the sponsor, referenced District 21 Meridian, and said he would study reciprocity and draft language by Thursday.
Jeff Ehlers — The sponsor was thanked by name and the committee then heard a motion to hold House Bill 513 in committee.
Jeff Ehlers — Explained that RS 33099 only changes the effective date and asked to introduce it and send it to the Second Reading Calendar.
Jeff Ehlers — Moved to send House Bill 514 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Alyssa Bowman — Alyssa Bowman testified in support of the cosmetology bill, introducing herself as a Star resident and salon business owner. She explained that the bill would lower licensure-hour barriers, expand enrollment and workforce access, help employers and small businesses hire more cosmetologists, and reduce student debt without sacrificing public safety. Bowman argued that much of the real training happens in salons through hands-on experience, that extra schooling hours do not necessarily improve wages or income potential, and that her company hires from diverse and often lower-income communities. In response to questions, she said reciprocity rules vary by state, that the 1,000-hour threshold is not a magic number but reflects a standard adopted in many states, that some states have different program tracks and requirements, and that the bill only changes minimum licensure hours rather than board rules or exams. She concluded by emphasizing that licensure is state-by-state, reciprocity is limited, and the bill’s goal is to get more people working in Idaho.
Jaron Crane — Jaron Crane raised concerns about the bill’s reciprocity provisions, questioning whether the RS actually fixes the issue and arguing that the licensing requirements are overly burdensome and should be reduced.
Jaron Crane — Jaron Crane questions the witness about claims of chemical burns from hair products, asking whether the concern is specifically about perms and coloring and expressing skepticism that the issue is as serious as portrayed to the committee.
Jaron Crane — Representative Crane questioned Kelsey Crawford about her luxury salon and used the exchange to probe the scope of cosmetology licensing, asking what services are included under a cosmetology license and how those services compare with other specialty licenses.
Jaron Crane — Representative Crane continued questioning whether cosmetology licensing should be further deregulated in the future. He asked if there had been any consideration of loosening the requirements even more and noted that Idaho’s highest licensure requirement appears to be electrical licensing at 8,000 hours, asking whether the state might eventually consider doing away with the cosmetology license entirely.
Kyle Harris — Asked whether lowering the required hours would change hands-on training or apprenticeship-like work in salons.
Kyle Harris — Representative Harris questioned whether a salon owner can choose to accept or refuse trainees and then continued probing the broader issue of training standards, arguing that the same kinds of mistakes or injuries can happen regardless of whether a trainee completes 1,600 hours. He suggested the core problem may be the adequacy of the testing standard rather than the amount of required training hours.
Kyle Harris — Referenced as a former member who advocated for no licensing and influenced the speaker's views.
Cornel Rasor — Asked whether lower-hour programs focus classroom instruction on essentials and leave hands-on skills for the workplace.