North Summit News

The Ohio Senate has passed Senate Bill 89, sponsored by State Senator Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson), which aims to integrate Ohio into the Cosmetology Licensure Compact. This proposed legislation would permit licensed cosmetologists to practice their profession in any other state that is a member of the compact.

Roegner likened the current situation to a driver's license only being valid within its issuing state. "Imagine if your Ohio driver's license was only valid in Ohio. If you wanted to drive out of Ohio you had to get a new driver's license for each state. That ludicrous scenario is what people are facing with occupational licenses," said Roegner. She believes that Senate Bill 89 addresses this issue for licensed cosmetologists by linking Ohio with other states that will acknowledge any cosmetology license from a member state, asserting, "This just makes sense."

It should be noted that the Cosmetology Licensure Compact is not yet active and will only form once seven states have enacted this legislation. So far, six other states have introduced bills to join the compact - California, Colorado, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and New York - while Kentucky, Arizona, Alabama, Virginia, and Maryland have already made their respective bills law.

Roegner sees this as an opportunity for Ohio to lead and boost the cosmetology profession within its borders. "This legislation will make Ohio a leader and promote the cosmetology profession in the Buckeye State," she stated.

Senate Bill 89 is part of Roegner's ongoing efforts to eliminate excessive government barriers and allow individuals to work freely in their trained fields. In previous General Assemblies, she sponsored interstate compact bills for various professions including social workers (SB 90), nurses (SB 3), occupational therapists (SB 7), physicians (SB 6), physical therapists (SB 5), counselors (SB 204), among others.

The bill is now set to be reviewed by the Ohio House.