Pennsylvania finally agrees to exempt hair braiders from regulatory oversight

For decades, braiders have argued that their hair artistry shouldn’t be subjected to Pennsylvania’s regulatory oversight.

Now, it seems that Harrisburg is finally agreeing.

On June 27, the State Senate passed Anthony Hardy Williams’ bill which would free braiders from being required to undergo 300 hours of formal instruction. Williams, whose 8th District covers South, West, Southwest Philadelphia, and Delaware County, said the legislation would support hair braiders by removing excessive and unnecessary barriers and encourage entrepreneurism.

“This was a long overlooked issue,” said Williams, who started advocating for the braiders in 2018, when he first introduced a bill to do away with instruction requirement. “This costly regulation does not benefit small-business owners, hair braiders, or their customers,” Williams said at the time.

But the bill failed to become a law.

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In March, the state House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill from State Reps. Regina Young, who represents parts of Delaware and Philadelphia Counties, and Donna Bullock. who represents parts of North Philadelphia as well as the area around the Philadelphia Museum of Art, to exempt the hair braiding industry from all regulatory oversight. When it passed the House, Young wrote in a social media post, “Natural hair braiding requires simply this: a comb, a brush and a head full of hair to work with.”

The braiders have consistently argued that because many learn the art form informally and do not use chemical products, their practices should be free from state involvement. Currently, 33 states have deregulated hair braiding.

There are only slight differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill and Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to sign the bill, according to Williams.

The natural hair braiders advocacy is more than a legislative matter, Williams said. It is an example of why voting matters.

Williams said the General Assembly became more familiar with the issue as there were leadership changes in the house including the election in 2023 of the first female speaker of the House, Joanna E. McClinton, who wears her hair in a natural style.

“Why did it take so long? Some state representatives were completely opposed.”

Bullock, who was recently named the new CEO of Project HOME and will be leaving her House seat, said “We’re a more diverse legislature. Diversity creates opportunities for bills.”

In the 1960s, African Americans began moving to more natural hairstyles and that included braided styles.

Originally, Pennsylvania’s cosmetology law required that braiders have 1,250 hours of instruction, at a cost of thousands of dollars, to learn material that had little to do with their craft.

But in 2006, an alternative permitting requirement was developed that required only 300 hours of hair braiding instruction. However, few schools offered the training and it was available only in English, when many braiders are West African immigrants with limited English skills.

Many braiders have operated without a license, putting them at risk of fines and having their salons shuttered.

» READ MORE: A two-decade fight to exempt natural hair braiders from Pa. oversight inches forward

“Why did it take so long? Some state representatives were completely opposed,” said Eric Edi, the chief operating officer of the Coalition of African and Caribbean Communities in Philadelphia (AFRICOM), which helped organize the braiders. Edi said there were concerns that barbershops and hair salons would also want to become deregulated.

AFRICOM estimates that there are at least 300 hair braiders, many of them African immigrants, operating salons in Philadelphia, but Edi acknowledges that AFRICOM’s count doesn’t include part-time and home-based braiders.

“No matter how long it has taken, today is a time to celebrate and look forward to the joy of the moment,” Edi said.

» READ MORE: In the long fight to deregulate natural hair braiding, one Olney salon owner scores a win

It’s been a year since a Commonwealth Court panel declared that the state’s licensing requirements violated Philadelphia hair braider Maimouna Thiam’s constitutional right to make a living with requirements that were unreasonable.

Deregulating braiding would “be a huge weight off their shoulders,” said Nadia Hewka, a senior staff attorney with Community Legal Services, who represented Thiam.