Bills Could Expand Beauty Service Licenses, Make Peace Officers Eligible for CIP

Lawmakers sent two bills out of committee Tuesday, measures to expand and crystalize two separate career pursuits for U.S. Virgin Islands residents – that of a peace officer and those in the beauty service industry.

The two bills were approved by the V.I. Senate Committee on Government Operations and Consumer Protection.

Sen. Novelle Francis Jr. sponsored Bill No. 34-0081, which would overhaul the V.I. Board of Licensing of Barbers, Beauticians, and Manicurists. If signed into law, the legislation would rename the board to the V.I. Board for the Licensing of Barbers, Cosmetologists, Estheticians, Nail Technicians and Natural Hair Stylists, and provide a series of revisions to the code, which Francis said holds sections that have not been updated in more than 50 years.

“In this time the beauty industry has grown significantly to now include aestheticians, nail technicians, natural hair stylists, and other categories that were not established when this bill was first enacted,” Francis said. “Unfortunately, this has created limitations for the licensing board which does not have the statutory authority to correctly license or regulate people seeking to practice in the territory.”

To address these “limitations” the bill would give the newly named board authority to grant temporary permits, update the categories of service that the board regulates and define those services, instate licensure qualification and requirements, and increase associated licensure fees by no more than 15 percent annually.

All money collected by the board is to be remitted to the Virgin Islands Department of Finance to be deposited in the Consumer Protection Fund.

Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs Assistant Commissioner Nathalie Hodge said the “licensing of barbering and cosmetology under this chapter has not passed any new rules and regulations since the adoption of subchapter” in March 2004.