Sponsors (7)
Introduced February 11, 2025 by Marsha Blackburn · Last progress February 11, 2025
The bill uses modest federal funding and incentives to train cosmetologists and barbers to identify and refer domestic violence survivors—potentially improving early intervention and expanding nonprofit outreach—while creating modest federal costs, short-term funding limits, administrative burdens for some states, and small added time/resource requirements for license applicants.
People experiencing domestic violence (including parents, families, and low-income individuals) are more likely to be identified early and referred to help because cosmetologists and barbers will receive training to recognize signs and refer clients to resources.
Victim service providers (nonprofits) gain funding support and a formal role in training cosmetology and barber licensure applicants, expanding outreach and linkage to services for survivors and at-risk clients.
States that adopt the training requirement can receive up to a 10% boost in Department of Justice grant funding, providing additional resources for public safety and program implementation.
Taxpayers ultimately fund the $5 million per year authorization, increasing federal spending commitments through 2033.
The incentive increase is capped (limited to a short period) and relies on relatively small, time-limited federal funds, which risks producing only short-term uptake without sustained long-term funding for training programs.
States without existing licensure-training laws face an administrative burden to change statutes and establish training partnerships to qualify for the grant boost.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Provides a financial incentive for States to require domestic violence training for cosmetology and barber licensure applicants by allowing the Attorney General to increase certain Byrne JAG-style grants to eligible States by up to 10% (based on the State's recent average awards). States must apply and show proof of the licensure-training law; the one-year grant increase may be renewed but cannot be received for more than three years in total. The law authorizes $5,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2027–2033 to carry out the program.