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Rep. Ashley Kerrick seeks to codify delegation for Alaska Board of Barbers and Hairdressers
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Summary
House Bill 243 would put into statute the Board of Barbers and Hairdressers’ practice of delegating licensing authority to the Division of Corporations, Businesses and Professional Licensing to avoid processing backlogs, supporters told the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on April 15.
Rep. Ashley Kerrick introduced House Bill 243 on April 15 before the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, saying the bill simply codifies an existing practice in which the Board of Barbers and Hairdressers delegates licensing authority to the Division of Corporations, Businesses and Professional Licensing.
Kerrick, representing House District 35 in West Fairbanks, told the committee the change is intended to prevent licensure backlogs or bottlenecks if the board were ever required to handle every licensing decision itself. She said the bill allows, but does not force, the board to delegate authority to the division and that the board would retain oversight powers, including the ability to refuse licenses or permits.
Cadence Connor, staff to Rep. Kerrick, walked the committee through the bill’s sections. Connor said Section 1 would amend AS 08.13.003(b) to permit delegation to the department, Section 2 would amend AS 08.13.030(c) to clarify the board’s ability to refuse licenses or permits, Section 3 would add conforming language (noted in testimony as AS 08.13.011(d)) and authorize licenses and permits for schools of manicuring, and Section 4 would specify an effective date.
Kevin McKinley, chairman of the Board of Barbers and Hairdressers, testified in support and described the operational reason for the bill. McKinley said the board adopted a division-administered checklist about a decade ago after legal advice and only recently was told the prior legal guidance was incorrect. He said the board currently receives roughly 20 applications per week and that number can rise to 50 or more during convention periods. Requiring the board to approve each application individually, McKinley said, "would slow processing times by weeks or even months" and would negatively affect practitioners, shop owners and the public. He said the board unanimously supports HB 243.
Kerrick noted that in fiscal year 2024 the board issued 50 new credentials, offered the committee that figure to illustrate licensing volume, and said she looks forward to follow-up discussions. No vote or formal action was taken; the committee closed the HB 243 hearing and took a brief recess before proceeding with other business.
The committee is expected to consider the bill further in a later hearing; committee members asked no immediate changes and requested opportunities to follow up with the division or board chair for any narrowly targeted questions about specific professions or procedures.
