S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4606
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 4, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. HUNTER -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Economic Development
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  general  business  law, in relation to defining
   natural hair braiding and threading, and exempting natural hair braid-
   ing and threading from certain licensing requirements

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision 5 of section 400 of the general business law,
 as amended by chapter 343 of the laws of 1998, is amended  and  two  new
 subdivisions 5-a and 5-b are added to read as follows:
   5.  The  practice of "natural hair styling" means providing for a fee,
 or any consideration or exchange, whether direct or indirect, any of the
 following services to the hair of a human being: shampooing,  arranging,
 OR  dressing[, twisting, wrapping, weaving, extending, locking or braid-
 ing] the hair or beard by either hand  or  mechanical  appliances.  Such
 practice shall not include cutting, shaving or trimming hair except that
 such  activities  are permissible to the extent that such activities are
 incidental to the practice of natural hair styling. Such practice  shall
 not include the application of dyes, reactive chemicals, or other prepa-
 rations  to  alter the color or to straighten, curl, or alter the struc-
 ture of the hair. [Techniques which result in tension on hair roots such
 as certain types of braiding, weaving, wrapping, locking  and  extending
 of the hair may only be performed by a natural hair styling or cosmetol-
 ogy  licensee who has successfully completed an approved course of study
 in such techniques.]
   5-A. THE PRACTICE OF "NATURAL HAIR BRAIDING"  MEANS  PROVIDING  FOR  A
 FEE,  OR  ANY CONSIDERATION OR EXCHANGE, WHETHER DIRECT OR INDIRECT, ANY
 OF THE FOLLOWING SERVICES TO THE HAIR OF A HUMAN BEING:  TWISTING, WRAP-
 PING, WEAVING, EXTENDING, LOCKING, OR BRAIDING  HAIR  BY  HAND  OR  WITH
 MECHANICAL  DEVICES,  INCLUDING  CLIPS,  COMBS,  CROCHET HOOKS, CURLERS,
 CURLING  IRONS,  HAIRPINS,  ROLLERS,  SCISSORS,  BLUNT-TIPPED   NEEDLES,
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD05857-01-1

 A. 4606                             2
 
 THREAD,  AND  HAIR  BINDERS.  NATURAL  HAIR BRAIDING INCLUDES THE USE OF
 NATURAL OR SYNTHETIC HAIR EXTENSIONS,  NATURAL  OR  SYNTHETIC  HAIR  AND
 FIBERS,  DECORATIVE BEADS, AND OTHER HAIR ACCESSORIES; MINOR TRIMMING OF
 NATURAL  HAIR OR HAIR EXTENSIONS INCIDENTAL TO TWISTING, WRAPPING, WEAV-
 ING, EXTENDING, LOCKING, OR BRAIDING  HAIR;  THE  MAKING  OF  WIGS  FROM
 NATURAL HAIR, NATURAL FIBERS, SYNTHETIC FIBERS, AND HAIR EXTENSIONS; AND
 THE  USE  OF  TOPICAL  AGENTS  SUCH AS CONDITIONERS, GELS, MOISTURIZERS,
 OILS, POMADES, AND SHAMPOOS IN CONJUNCTION WITH PERFORMING THE  PRACTICE
 OF  NATURAL  HAIR  BRAIDING.  NATURAL HAIR BRAIDING IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS
 "AFRICAN-STYLE HAIR BRAIDING" BUT  IS  NOT  LIMITED  TO  ANY  PARTICULAR
 CULTURAL,  ETHNIC,  RACIAL,  OR  RELIGIOUS FORMS OF HAIR STYLES. NATURAL
 HAIR BRAIDING IS DISTINCT FROM THE PRACTICE OF COSMETOLOGY  AND  NATURAL
 HAIR  STYLING. NATURAL HAIR BRAIDING DOES NOT INCLUDE THE APPLICATION OF
 DYES, REACTIVE CHEMICALS, OR OTHER PREPARATIONS TO ALTER  THE  COLOR  OF
 THE  HAIR OR TO STRAIGHTEN, CURL, OR ALTER THE STRUCTURE OF THE HAIR; OR
 THE USE OF CHEMICAL HAIR JOINING AGENTS SUCH AS SYNTHETIC TAPE,  KERATIN
 BONDS, OR FUSION BONDS.
   5-B.  THE PRACTICE OF "THREADING" MEANS A METHOD OF REMOVING HAIR FROM
 THE EYEBROWS, UPPER LIP, OR OTHER BODY PARTS BY USING COTTON  THREAD  TO
 PULL  HAIR  FROM  FOLLICLES.  THREADING MAY INCLUDE THE USE OF OVER-THE-
 COUNTER ASTRINGENTS, GELS AND POWDERS, AND THE USE OF TWEEZERS AND SCIS-
 SORS INCIDENTAL TO THREADING. SUCH PRACTICE SHALL NOT INCLUDE THE USE OF
 CHEMICALS, HEAT OR ANY TYPE OF WAX.
   § 2. Section 416 of the general business law is amended  by  adding  a
 new subdivision 3 to read as follows:
   3.  THIS  ARTICLE  SHALL  NOT  APPLY  TO THE PRACTICES OF NATURAL HAIR
 BRAIDING OR THREADING.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.