Representative Jeff Ehlers told the House Business Committee on Feb. 17 that House Bill 121 would remove the state licensure requirement for makeup artists.

Ehlers said the makeup-artist license was established in 2018 and that only about 36 people currently hold the license in Idaho. “You could still be a makeup artist. You could still have that profession. You just don't need a license to do it,” Representative Jeff Ehlers said.

Nut graf: The bill would let makeup artists continue working but without the current statutory requirement that they hold a state license; sponsors framed the change as a deregulatory move intended to reduce barriers to practice where consumer complaints are rare.

Committee members asked whether public-safety concerns (for example, contamination or unsafe products applied near the eye) had been reported. Ehlers and a representative from the licensing agency said there have been zero consumer complaints in the last five years related to the makeup-artist license. Representative Harris noted the statutory training requirement reads “a hundred hours of training, makeup artistry, including safety and disinfection,” and asked whether continuing education was required; Ehlers said the statute shows none.

Representative Wheeler opened the public hearing and no members of the public spoke. Representative Wheeler moved to send House Bill 121 to the floor with a “do pass” recommendation; the committee approved the motion by voice vote.

Clarifications: Committee discussion distinguished makeup artistry from other licensed practices under the barber-and-cosmetology code; members agreed barbers and cosmetologists would remain licensed and that the bill is limited to the makeup-artist paragraph in code.

The committee recorded no formal consumer testimony opposing the repeal during the public-comment portion of the hearing.