What's Being Discussed

License case: The board will review a disciplinary matter involving a barber's license held by Liang Chen.
New license applications: The board will consider applications from an individual barber (Justice D K Torres) and a beauty school (IBS School of Cosmetology and Massage), plus a list of recently approved licenses for ratification.
Exam results: Staff will share the results of April 2026 barber and beauty operator licensing exams.
New state law — natural hair braiding: The board will be briefed on Senate Bill 2876, which starting January 1, 2028, will require natural hair braiders to register (rather than hold a full license) with the board. The board must create rules for this by November 2026.
Barbering and cosmetology in public schools: A Hawaii Department of Education representative will present a plan to offer barber and cosmetology training in public school programs.
Updating the rules: The board will discuss combining and modernizing its two separate sets of administrative rules — one for cosmetology and one for barbering — into a single updated rulebook.

Decisions Expected

Approval of minutes from the April 14, 2026 meeting
Votes on new license applications and ratification of recently issued licenses
Possible next steps on rule-making for natural hair braiding registration requirements

Who Should Pay Attention

Natural hair braiders — a new registration requirement will affect you starting in 2028
Barbers, cosmetologists, and beauty school operators seeking or holding licenses in Hawaii
Students and educators interested in vocational cosmetology programs in public schools
Anyone following changes to Hawaii's professional licensing rules in this industry