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TDLR details interim rollout for HB 1560; schools get separate SHEARS access, distance education limits clarified
Summary
Texas licensing staff told barbering and cosmetology schools that, while a single merged SHEARS system is not yet ready, an interim process will let schools enroll and report students in both programs using separate SHEARS logins. Officials outlined hour requirements, a 50% distance-education cap (theory only), and no fee to add a second school license.
Ray Pizarro, director for the Education and Examination Division at the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, told barbering and cosmetology school representatives that the agency will use an interim process to implement changes from House Bill 1560 rather than wait for a single merged SHEARS system to be completed. "That SHEARS is not ready, but we do have an alternative plan," Pizarro said, adding that schools will be able to enroll in the barber SHEARS and the cosmetology SHEARS separately and will receive logins for both when they are approved to teach each course.
The change matters because HB 1560 allows school programs to offer barbering and cosmetology under one roof, but the department said the technical work to merge the two SHEARS platforms is still underway. "We don't have the Barber Cosmetology SHEARS completed yet," Pizarro said, and the department described the rollout as "baby steps" while staff finalize system updates. Officials repeatedly asked schools to use the updated SHEARS manual and the division's web form for inquiries while staff manage a large increase in workload.
Why it matters: staff said the interim approach will let schools begin offering approved courses sooner without waiting…
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