[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6600668,"mediaKeyId","3026475-243bf74a3400b6ac73eb1959b4f4da3e","parentId",3026475,"title","Panel weighs cutting cosmetology training from 1,500 to 1,200 hours; students and CTEs back change, board and private schools push back","audioSeconds",4431,"startMs",3169000,"endMs",7600000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3026475-243bf74a3400b6ac73eb1959b4f4da3e&start=3169&end=7600","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3026475-243bf74a3400b6ac73eb1959b4f4da3e/thumbnail_3169000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6600668/New-Hampshire/Panel-weighs-cutting-cosmetology-training-from-1500-to-1200-hours-students-and-CTEs-back-change-board-and-private-schools-push-back","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6600668-9910ca3f3f417ae857b95014f73129bd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771084833&Signature=ToFFkPXxoRFRo9FifXFTmO~dWq2vr943~XtIYJ0sGgvnWiMkNeIFivKCdlu5CT4c6uE9V4yB~OqZPohYm1s2at-lff9kjj9CRJWg-y7Z-dmrjpTKH6dUydnQPFDO3IU7xSd-ciDJbepmE~XtFrO3xVGibUVPz20y7B2Bl3i2Pn2m~cZilmzAyWbEgymrP5-MzR0iCBcC2EWSNqw68410oCVE5Cb9NQiBEe5-J052AjsKVC8RcK7gHBtFlYBvI5rIK52BKvGvsMgtCad37U7sBL7bN5i2BZW84u2GBrHWU3wYBhUMBNk6GOZla8o~42QpfLMRLAsPbBfr-dasVBVCsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Hampshire Legislature","date","2025-04-16T21:43:12.197Z","article","Sen. David Waters introduced Senate Bill 194 to reduce the state's cosmetology licensure hour requirement from 1,500 to 1,200 hours. Supporters — including high school career and technical education (CTE) directors, students and some salon‑industry witnesses — said the reduction aligns New Hampshire with neighboring states, would let more CTE students finish licensure while still in high school and would reduce the financial barrier of private post‑secondary cosmetology school.

Students and CTE testimony

Dover High School CTE students and instructors told the committee that travel schedules, district calendars and workshop days make it difficult for some sending students to complete 1,500 hours during high school. \"Decreasing the minimum requirement will allow students similar to myself to obtain full licensure much easier,\" student Carly Callaway testified. Dover students and instructors said their program already covers sanitation, chemical safety and hands‑on clinic time; they argued 1,200 hours would still deliver the core curriculum while avoiding a costly extra year at a private school (tuition for private programs cited in testimony ranged in the tens of thousands of dollars).

Board, school and industry concerns

State cosmetology board members, private school directors and large salon operators pushed back. Jean Chapelle, a board member and school owner, said the board \"was unanimously in favor of adding a CTE member to the board\" and expressed concern that not all CTE programs can deliver the same level of hands‑on clinic experience as post‑secondary schools. Multiple witnesses noted that national testing and curriculum standards are written to a 1,500‑hour baseline and that many other states require 1,500 hours or more; board witnesses warned that lowering hours could affect portability, reciprocity and training fidelity.

Private school representatives and large salon operators also said that hands‑on experience with live paying clients is essential: the practical exam is regimented, they noted, but passing the practical and written test does not guarantee the speed, guest‑management skills or commercial readiness demanded in a busy salon.

Points of disagreement and next steps

Witnesses disagreed about other states' minimums and about whether deregulation of specific services (for example, shampooing, certain braiding and blow‑drying services) reduced necessary classroom hours; committee members asked for clearer data and for written materials documenting the number of states at each hour level and the details of CTE clinic capacity.

Sen. Waters told the committee the change was requested by the CTE network and the Career and Technical Education Council; he said the measure is aimed at enabling more students to obtain licensure and enter the workforce without incurring heavy tuition debt.

The committee closed the hearing after receiving extensive testimony from students, instructors, state board members and private‑school representatives and asked for follow‑up materials, including written data on reciprocity, state-by-state hour requirements and documentation of CTE clinical capacity.

Speakers quoted in this story: Sen. David Waters; students Olivia Adams and Carly Callaway (Dover High School CTE); Kristen Toomey (Dover instructor); Melissa Hope (Dover instructor); Jean Chapelle (Cosmetology Board member and school owner); John Langlois (Empire Beauty School owner).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Executive Departments and Administration (04/16/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 194 would lower the state cosmetology training requirement from 1,500 hours to 1,200 hours; supporters including CTE students and instructors said the reduction would enable high‑school learners to finish licensure in‑distrct and reduce costs, while board members and private school directors said 1,500 hours aligns with national testing and protects public safety and commercial readiness.","taxTitle","Executive Departments and Administration, House of Representatives, Committees\t, Legislative, New Hampshire","taxId",17748,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6600682,"Bill would impose timelines on OPLC investigations; agency warns of staffing, statute conflicts",1083,117000,1200000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3026475-243bf74a3400b6ac73eb1959b4f4da3e&start=117&end=1200","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3026475-243bf74a3400b6ac73eb1959b4f4da3e/thumbnail_117000.jpg","/articles/6600682/New-Hampshire/Bill-would-impose-timelines-on-OPLC-investigations-agency-warns-of-staffing-statute-conflicts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6600682-9eaa4b5cbe1d6d374883177e839a9cf7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771084833&Signature=Qbv5n35pfX-58x4NDWX3pphsqLRbPO7Czu5riD4NxGxx2FnDFb2ltAeVFLCAW3JbC5wsKGTFwZC8sEWzGFrrbfTyRAohP87U5nn~XpwifvmQVwSyq6NlHxZFjlbb4eaPRZ0Q8HUDKy3eLnFuqTU2kBQvC9TG8HBUWBmlhZ5jqpK-bZbnVmNI654U~ttLSHk9-LnG8EbmJHnpbLcPZ8HCPqP~ApA879EjpNieNgXeFttbLfc5GjcH-8l9XMvyhLt3ZlME-4JtdravlHUWJGZ7ja4H43gxAUPcYC2CfjTLQbVED6RwKkZCsWQSYpFFzzjnamWsC5TQxk9o7SONiYdgUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sen. Howard Pearl introduced Senate Bill 185 to require the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) to add explicit time limits to how complaints are screened and investigated, a measure supporters say would give both complainants and licensees clearer information about case status.

The bill would require an initial OPLC staff determination about whether an allegation includes professional misconduct within 30 days. If OPLC finds a claim of misconduct, staff would have a defined period to complete an investigation and report back to the relevant board; if the investigation is incomplete, the board \"may either instruct the office to continue with its investigation or make a final determination on the claim\" within a set time after it receives the staff report.

Backlog, statutes and staffing

Proponents described the changes as a transparency and timeliness fix. \"Senate bill 185 proposes to add timelines to the existing process in order to ensure transparency and to provide more timely resolution for all licensees under OPLC,\" Sen. Pearl said during the hearing.

OPLC officials told the committee they share the goal of timelier resolution but raised several operational and legal concerns. Deanna Juris, OPLC executive director, said the office has \"operational concerns about how this would look, in terms of changing the structure of 3 10\" and noted that the agency has been adjusting to a statutory restructuring of enforcement that occurred in 2023. Juris also flagged ambiguities in how the new language would interact with existing limitation periods and rulemaking authority under RSA 3:10.

Nicholas Fry, OPLC general counsel, walked the committee through existing limitation periods and the office's rulemaking authority and warned of potential conflicts that could prompt litigation. Fry outlined three existing statutory limitation provisions and noted that the longest-standing disciplinary limitation dates back to February 2015. \"One potential concern is just how this new statute with a different limitation period would would interplay with that and the potential for, having competing statutes of limitation periods and how that could lead to the potential for litigation,\" Fry said.

Board members and public members also testified about large backlogs. Nina Gardner, a public member of the Board of Medicine, told the committee the board has a \"very, very significant backlog of cases\" and said OPLC has taken steps to triage and pre‑screen complaints; she and other board witnesses said the office needs more staff to meet any stricter deadlines. OPLC and board witnesses described an initial legal or \"facial\" screening that has removed many nonviable matters from the queue; Juris reported the office identified roughly 500 cases during that review that would likely have been dismissed under current legal standards.

Cost and implementation

Witnesses pressing for timelier resolution said the change would help consumers and licensees who currently get little or no status updates. Bob Quinn, CEO of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, called the bill \"an off ramp\" for relatively straightforward cases and said the Real Estate Commission had seen far fewer published adjudications in recent years because of OPLC delays.

But OPLC repeatedly warned that implementing statutory timelines without additional staffing would be difficult. Juris said the fiscal note had been revised after senate amendments but still contemplates adding investigative positions. Committee members and witnesses discussed an estimate of roughly six to seven additional enforcement staff in the fiscal note; Juris stressed that hiring depends on budget processes and on whether the office can recover costs through licensing fees and rule‑based fee changes.

Where the bill stands

Committee members asked whether the timelines would prevent new complaints from \"jumping the line\" ahead of older cases; Juris and board witnesses described a triage system that prioritizes urgent matters and those approaching existing limitation periods. Several lawmakers also asked whether the bill gives the board too much authority mid‑investigation; sponsors said the measure is intended to give boards information and an opportunity to act, not to displace OPLC's investigative role.

No formal action was recorded on the bill during the hearing. The committee scheduled follow‑up work‑session coordination with OPLC to address drafting, statute conflicts and fiscal implications.

Speakers quoted in this story: Sen. Howard Pearl; Deanna Juris, executive director, OPLC; Nicholas Fry, general counsel, OPLC; Nina Gardner, public member, Board of Medicine; Bob Quinn, CEO, New Hampshire Association of Realtors.

Ending

The committee indicated it will continue drafting discussions with OPLC staff and stakeholders to resolve statute-of-limitations questions and staffing and fiscal constraints before advancing any final proposal. The hearing record shows strong bipartisan interest in reducing delays, with sharp attention to how any new deadlines would be operationalized and funded.","Sen. Howard Pearl introduced Senate Bill 185 to require the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification to set timelines for complaint screening and investigations, prompting OPLC officials and board members to warn that the change could conflict with existing statutes, require litigation-risk analysis and need additional enforcement staff.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6600672,"Amended bill would let nursing students who complete fundamentals sit for LNA exam; OPLC asks wording and timing fixes",479,2761000,3240000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3026475-243bf74a3400b6ac73eb1959b4f4da3e&start=2761&end=3240","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3026475-243bf74a3400b6ac73eb1959b4f4da3e/thumbnail_2761000.jpg","/articles/6600672/New-Hampshire/Amended-bill-would-let-nursing-students-who-complete-fundamentals-sit-for-LNA-exam-OPLC-asks-wording-and-timing-fixes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6600672-d1f35c4613bef88fed0ace36519f46a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771084833&Signature=K3nU6XxRciTMQGmUFfJs-JbviWXbVy~xjLb1IBqp2qmt0~DhzKbk3Er-n33GT8qbm0xo51z2b3PHjUDuiCCd6lZlgJ2jUFAGJtDUe~UHyVYNmU-WFVrM6vGvsD4QVTgN6f2EHgSEiHcef8QNJTHJGa5gop-PLUhSxsq86rmoRRR89bC7CIdR2BvF6peINVZs4sTWfJBBS3M2ZSkIYM8oh2gBplHrbPK7rgjC6-KOO53cqnibIQJXLTwq0JS5mKf7mVBLrhIikBaDfH0nEYu7jd6lB1uH9yKcm2VeJAWwzK6ze1MwMuCp7BS9Foq-ov5EQ~dNAawLiJ6eyIllwU61ng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 93, as amended, would put into statute an existing practice: students who have completed the fundamentals of nursing curriculum in a board‑approved program (generally a first‑year designation) would be eligible to sit for the Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) exam and work while they continue toward their nursing education.

Grant Bossi, deputy chief of staff for the Senate, introduced the amendment on behalf of a sponsor and explained the change would \"ease the path for nursing students to enter the workforce and address New Hampshire's long standing nursing shortage.\"

OPLC implementation questions

Deanna Juris and OPLC counsel Nicholas Fry confirmed the practice is already in place through rule language but said statutes did not clearly authorize it. Juris recommended small drafting fixes to the bill's phrasing — principally commas to clarify that the board‑approved program requirement modifies both pathways in the sentence — and asked the committee to consider making the effective date \"upon passage\" rather than the bill’s standard 60 days so students could be eligible for imminent exams.

Committee members asked whether the statutory language would allow students to sit for the exam based on non‑board approved coursework; Bossi and Juris characterized the bill's intent as requiring board‑approved program completion and said the \"or its equivalent\" phrase is meant to allow programs that use different course titles to qualify but still be board approved.

Timing and outreach

OPLC noted a practical problem under current statute: students sometimes are eligible to sit for the exam before the office has explicit authority to credential them, creating confusing messaging for programs and students. Juris asked the committee to consider an effective date that would permit students preparing for May exams to apply and be licensed rather than waiting 60 days after passage.

Ending

Committee members discussed technical comma placements and asked OPLC to supply final drafting to avoid ambiguity. No formal vote was recorded; OPLC said it was willing to return for a follow‑up work session if the committee wanted more detail.

Speakers quoted in this story: Grant Bossi (Deputy Chief of Staff, Senate); Deanna Juris, executive director, OPLC; Nicholas Fry, general counsel, OPLC.","An amended bill would allow students who complete a board‑approved fundamentals/first‑year nursing curriculum to sit for the Licensed Nursing Assistant exam and work while finishing their education; OPLC asked the committee to fix sentence punctuation and consider an earlier effective date so students can reach upcoming exams.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6600677,"Bill would rename 'physician assistants' as 'physician associates' in state law; sponsors, PAs say scope won't change",1052,3108000,4160000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3026475-243bf74a3400b6ac73eb1959b4f4da3e&start=3108&end=4160","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3026475-243bf74a3400b6ac73eb1959b4f4da3e/thumbnail_3108000.jpg","/articles/6600677/New-Hampshire/Bill-would-rename-physician-assistants-as-physician-associates-in-state-law-sponsors-PAs-say-scope-wont-change","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6600677-2d9973bb08b594626eabce6ec895c625/orig.mp4?Expires=1771084833&Signature=EX4KUxEEbCh-UqATYSldIfIaXIagmUn~-nvZ2-hLJfVaMegmpDKBREoHVaEY7nUAExdai8hQviD3oOuZPS-K1NXq7AypILJqykCMklIWRXL7iGi-Uk7vMiNUh2qhm8FnwxlmCv2hpsu4fqbfZnzrqOvKisJGjl0s1TkczJmWvsmBClYd0oaLgUM15J33j0GMq2NJluB3pgrdbt92WwXR1r7yB4iZ9Pc5E5iHXQE80cjAEW-LRExLVcf7zxwKJgZ9GcDbTe44vqSHzOnEpYmyQfBHoNjBgymbb6DuwLcZT~DDKcs3hb1rwPEXefl-tkSsWxN76Su7fH2-Fk-YVPBO3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sen. David Rocheford introduced Senate Bill 285 to change statutory references from \"physician assistant\" to \"physician associate,\" a nomenclature update supporters say better reflects the profession's education and role on modern health teams.

The sponsor and multiple physician associates and association representatives told the committee the proposal was the unanimous recommendation of a bipartisan legislative study committee formed after passage of a separate bill last year. \"The bill in itself is is pretty straightforward. It just changes the word assistant to associate wherever a physician assistant is referenced in state statutes and requires executive departments to do the same in rules,\" Rocheford said.

Supporters and protections

Supporters emphasized that the change is only a name update and does not alter education, training, scope of practice, contractual relationships or employer designations. Malcolm Hathaway, president of the New Hampshire Society of Physician Associates, said the national organization changed its name in 2021 and that the bill aligns New Hampshire law with the profession's national and state associations. \"Our profession's name did not adequately convey our education, our training, or how PA's practice medicine as part of the modern health care teams,\" Hathaway said.

The sponsor and other witnesses noted a drafting amendment drafted by Representative Leon to ensure that the statutory prohibition on falsely holding oneself out as a physician assistant would be updated to cover both old and new titles; the amendment would prevent someone from resurrecting the old title to evade penalties.

Board and public members

Nina Gardner, a public member of the Board of Medicine, spoke on the record in an informational capacity and urged consistent on‑site identification of clinicians so patients know who is treating them, regardless of title. Several witnesses told the committee the change is intended to reduce public confusion about the role and to reflect the profession’s contemporary practice across settings including primary care and emergency medicine.

No formal vote was recorded at the hearing. Sponsors said the amendment narrows drafting oversights and leaves substantive scope-of-practice unchanged; supporters urged the committee to treat the bill as a technical alignment rather than a practice change.

Ending

The committee received broad testimony in support from PA organizations, training programs and practicing PAs, and closed the hearing after discussing the Leon amendment to protect the statutory prohibition on improper titles.

Speakers quoted in this story: Sen. David Rocheford; Malcolm Hathaway, president, New Hampshire Society of Physician Associates; Michael Bartlett, representative of the American Academy of Physician Associates; Nina Gardner, public member, Board of Medicine.","Sen. David Rocheford introduced legislation to replace the term \"physician assistant\" with \"physician associate\" in state law; supporters said the change aligns New Hampshire with national and state PA organizations and does not alter a PA’s scope of practice.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Panel weighs cutting cosmetology training from 1,500 to 1,200 hours; students and CTEs back change, board and private schools push back

Bill would impose timelines on OPLC investigations; agency warns of staffing, statute conflicts

Amended bill would let nursing students who complete fundamentals sit for LNA exam; OPLC asks wording and timing fixes

Bill would rename 'physician assistants' as 'physician associates' in state law; sponsors, PAs say scope won't change