Bill > HB1263

This bill establishes a Workgroup on Postoperative Cosmetic Care to study how cosmetic and body-altering services provided by individuals who are not physicians are currently regulated, with a primary focus on ensuring patient safety, protecting consumers, and maintaining continuity of care. The workgroup will be composed of representatives from the Departments of Health and Labor, the State Boards of Nursing, Massage Therapy Examiners, and Physical Therapy Examiners, along with a physician specializing in cosmetic surgery, a licensed acupuncturist, a patient advocate, and a representative from a postoperative care organization, with the Secretary of Health having the discretion to appoint additional stakeholders. This workgroup is tasked with examining existing regulations, identifying gaps in access to qualified providers, reviewing conflicts in scope-of-practice laws, evaluating risks from unregulated practitioners, assessing training requirements, and reviewing best practices from other states, with the goal of making recommendations for certification, registration, or professional recognition of providers, while avoiding the creation of new licensing programs unless absolutely necessary and prioritizing low-cost, non-bureaucratic options. The workgroup must submit an interim report by December 1, 2026, and a final report with its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House by December 1, 2027. The bill also clarifies that the workgroup itself cannot establish a licensing program and will be in effect for two years, from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2028.