Florida nail techs must undergo 240 hours of training before becoming licensed. The current training requirements rank among the lowest in the nation. Now House Bill 15 proposes to cut the required education by 90 hours.
Senator Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg backs the bill that is headed for a vote in January. Robert Rosenberg owns the Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy in Brandon. Rosenberg says less training will lead to injuries.
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Brandes counters the measure will get people to work faster while removing burdensome regulations currently in place. He adds cosmetology schools are fighting the bill because it will cut their bottom line.
Rosenberg points out our nearest neighbor Georgia requires 600 hours of training, four times more than House Bill 15 would mandate.
Brandes referenced a recent study that found no real connection between hours trained and injuries in other states. He says it is up to the individual to use the training they’ve been taught.
We asked Senator Brandes if he'd spoken with any experts regarding the safety of the proposal. He had not. As it stands now HB 15 is headed to the house floor for a vote in January.
