STAND. COM. REP. NO. 445

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1621

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 1621 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NAIL TECHNICIANS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to direct the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology to adopt rules establishing:

(1) A separate license for nail technicians; and

(2) Corresponding license requirements for nail technicians.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Future of the Beauty Industry Coalition, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, and two individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.

Your Committee finds that requiring nail technicians to obtain a cosmetology license compels nail technicians to learn skills irrelevant to their profession. Accordingly, this measure removes expensive and time consuming barriers to promote job growth for individuals who would otherwise be deterred by onerous licensing requirements.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have required the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to adopt rules to establish a nail technician license separate from a general cosmetologist license and the corresponding licensing requirements;

(2) Inserting language to exempt nail technicians from licensing requirements;

(3) Updating section 1 to reflect its updated purpose; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1621, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1621, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair