Untangling occupational licensing rules

by Keli'i Akina, Ph.D., President / CEO, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

This year’s legislative session is winding down, and it has certainly had its highs and lows. One positive result I’d like to tell you about is a bill on the verge of final approval that would actually move regulations on local entrepreneurs in the right direction.

SB2876 is a relatively noncontroversial bill that proposes replacing burdensome cosmetology licensing requirements for natural hair braiders with a simple registration process. 

A group of state senators and representatives agreed on a final draft of the bill earlier this week, so all it needs now is a final vote of approval from both chambers. Then, of course, the governor’s signature would make it law.

If you aren’t a hair braider or don’t get your hair braided, you might not understand the significance of this bill. I admit, it seems like a pretty manini issue. 

But this isn’t just about granting people more freedom to braid hair. It’s about removing unfair, unnecessary and expensive regulations that prevent any resident from working and keep Hawaii from becoming a place where we all can thrive and prosper. 

Currently, hair braiders in Hawaii are required to hold a cosmetology license in order to sell their services. But the cost of obtaining that license is prohibitive. Not only does it require 1,800 training hours, the program can cost more than $20,000 — one of the most expensive in the country.

The state board that governs cosmetology professionals has acknowledged that very little of the cosmetology education is relevant to hair braiding, and 37 other states have successfully exempted braiders from licensure.

If SB2876 sails through its last two procedural steps, as it has through the rest of the legislative session, braiders will only have to register with the state and complete a course in sanitation practices to address any public safety concerns.

The reality is that braiders do not work with chemicals or dyes or cut hair. They simply braid hair. And in many cases, they are minority women engaged in a cultural practice handed down over generations. We should be making it easier, not harder, for them to support their families with a trade they know well.

But that’s not just true for braiders. Many potential entrepreneurs in Hawaii are being held back by regulations that are too difficult and costly to overcome.

Our legislators deserve praise for advancing this bill, but they need to remove more unnecessary and burdensome rules that make Hawaii one of the least friendly environments to start and operate a flourishing business.

Because everyone should be free to earn a decent living.

E hana kākou! (Lets work together!)