MS HB838

Private business and vocational schools with national accreditation from a U.S. Department of Education-designated agency may submit accreditation evidence instead of other application materials for cosmetology, massage therapy, and proprietary school registration.

Applications based on national accreditation evidence must be approved or denied within 30 days of receipt; if no action is taken within 30 days, the application is automatically deemed approved and the license must be issued.

Amends Mississippi Code sections 73-7-16 (cosmetology schools), 73-67-35 (massage therapy), and 75-60-11 (proprietary schools and colleges) to establish the streamlined accreditation-based application process.

Nationally accredited schools may follow accreditation standards for hiring and training faculty instead of state statutes when the two conflict, while non-accredited schools must fully comply with state law.

Effective date: July 1, 2011.