HO 659 Summary

• Removes mandatory licensure requirements for geology, massage therapy, interior design, private investigation, landscape architecture, barbering, cosmetology, embalming, and athlete agent professions, allowing unlicensed practice.

• Makes it a class C misdemeanor for unlicensed persons to hold themselves out as licensed, advertise as licensed, or represent themselves as providing licensed services in these professions.

• Eliminates requirements for barber and cosmetology establishments to be licensed, but prohibits unlicensed establishments from advertising as licensed facilities under penalty of class C misdemeanor.

• Changes mandatory licensure language from "shall" to "may" across multiple profession statutes while maintaining penalties for false representation of credentials.

• Removes repealed section 329.070 regarding apprentice and student licensing requirements for cosmetology occupations.