Montana would let eligible cosmetologists seek licenses covering participating states

Montana would join an agreement allowing eligible cosmetologists to obtain one license recognized across participating states. Licenses would cover participating states only. A worker's home state would generally be the participating state where they primarily live and hold a license. Applicants would need an active home-state license free of disciplinary limits or reported disciplinary action and must meet the agreement's rules. Workers would follow the service rules where they work and pay required fees. Active military members and their spouses could keep a chosen home state where they hold a license in good standing during active-duty assignments. The agreement would take effect when the seventh state enacts it into law.

Applicants for Montana multistate cosmetology licenses would submit fingerprints for state and federal criminal background checks. The application requirement would cover people seeking Montana multistate cosmetology licenses. Applicants would pay all background-check fees. The licensing board could require fingerprints for another background check at renewal. The Department of Justice could share these fingerprints with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Participating states would share licensing and investigation information and could restrict a cosmetologist's permission to work. These rules would cover cosmetologists in the agreement's licensing system. Only the home state could act against the multistate license itself. Other participating states could restrict practice within their borders. An approved monitoring or diversion program would suspend the multistate license during participation. Notices that investigations exist would be available only to participating states. Records legally erased later would have to be removed from the database.

A commission representing participating states would manage the agreement and issue binding rules. It could charge fees to support its work. Each participating state would have one representative on the commission. The commission could charge states annual amounts and workers license and renewal fees. States would keep control over education and professional licensing requirements. If a court found that a commission rule conflicted with state rules about allowed cosmetology services, the commission rule would not apply to that conflict. The commission would come into existence on or after the agreement takes effect.