posted on: 09/05/2024
In early August, Governor J. B. Pritzker signed into law House Bill 5135, adding training requirements for applicants and licensed professionals in abnormal skin growth education.
An applicant who applies for original licensure on or after January 1, 2026, or a licensee submitting their first renewal application on or after January 1, 2026, must provide proof of completing a course approved by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation in abnormal skin growth education, including training on identifying melanoma. This law applies to the following applicants and licensed professionals:
- Cosmetologists
- Barbers
- Hair braiders
- Estheticians
- Massage therapists
- Nail technologists
- Electrologists
A licensee may refer a client to seek care from a medical professional regarding abnormal skin growth. This is not considered acting outside a licensed professional’s scope of practice under the new law, and a licensee or their employer will not be held criminally liable for acting in good faith.
Effective immediately.