Monitoring the Session

SB 378

bill bars barbers and cosmetologists from injections

Vetoed

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Charles SchwertnerRSenate 5

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to certain prohibited practices by a barber or cosmetologist.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

No cutting into deeper skin, no medical devices.

The bill bars barbers and cosmetologists, while doing their licensed work, from cutting into the deeper layer of the skin, including to inject medicine or other substances, and from using a medical device as defined in the state pharmacy law. It touches licensed barbers, cosmetologists and the salons and shops where they work, with an exception for anyone who also holds a license or other legal authority to do those acts. On the ground, the state licensing department can discipline a barber or cosmetologist who does injections or similar skin-cutting work, and the license holder must prove they had separate authority, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R SB 1120 (Did not pass) and this bill (Vetoed). Checked against 88R only.DO-OVER. Reworked text of a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 1120 (Did not pass). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB378 · 2024-11-15

SOLD BY

Sen. Charles SchwertnerRSenate 5

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to certain prohibited practices by a barber or cosmetologist.

WHAT IT DOES

No cutting into deeper skin, no medical devices.

The bill bars barbers and cosmetologists, while doing their licensed work, from cutting into the deeper layer of the skin, including to inject medicine or other substances, and from using a medical device as defined in the state pharmacy law. It touches licensed barbers, cosmetologists and the salons and shops where they work, with an exception for anyone who also holds a license or other legal authority to do those acts. On the ground, the state licensing department can discipline a barber or cosmetologist who does injections or similar skin-cutting work, and the license holder must prove they had separate authority, starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 9, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Business & Commerce
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Testimony taken in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Vote taken in committee
  11. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  12. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  13. Committee report printed and distributed
  14. Placed on intent calendar
  15. Not again placed on intent calendar
  16. Placed on intent calendar
  17. Co-author authorized
  18. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  19. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  20. Vote recorded in Journal
  21. Three day rule suspended
  22. Record vote
  23. Read 3rd time
  24. Passed
  25. Record vote
  26. Reported engrossed
  27. Received from the Senate
  28. Read first time
  29. Referred to Licensing & Administrative Procedures
  30. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  31. Considered in public hearing
  32. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  33. Left pending in committee
  34. Considered in public hearing
  35. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  36. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  37. Committee report distributed
  38. Committee report sent to Calendars
  39. Considered in Calendars
  40. Placed on General State Calendar
  41. Read 2nd time
  42. Point of order withdrawn Rule 8, Section 1(a)(1)
  43. Passed to 3rd reading
  44. Record vote RV#2972
  45. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  46. Read 3rd time
  47. Passed
  48. Record vote RV#3043
  49. House passage reported
  50. Reported enrolled
  51. Signed in the Senate
  52. Signed in the House
  53. Sent to the Governor
  54. Vetoed by the Governor
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 107 yea · 39 nay

Senate · 30 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 20, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate: Final passage · Mar 27, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Charles Schwertner

Donors

Donors report through Texans for Charles Schwertner.

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

Votes5

House May 20, 2025

Yea
107
Nay
39
Present, not voting
3
Absent
0
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 3043

SB 378 was passed by (Record 3043): 107 Yeas, 39 Nays, 3 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 107 (published)
  • Nay: 39 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 3 (published)
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House May 19, 2025

Yea
107
Nay
32
Present, not voting
2
Absent
5
Excused
4
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 2972

SB 378 was passed to third reading by (Record 2972): 107 Yeas, 32 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 107 (published)
  • Nay: 32 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 4 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Mar 27, 2025

Yea
30
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.

Sources

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0. (Same as previous roll call)

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 30 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Mar 27, 2025

Yea
30
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.

Sources

Senator Schwertner moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 378 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 30 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Mar 27, 2025

Yea
Not printed
Nay
Not printed
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.

Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.

Sources

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: Not printed
  • Nay: Not printed
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses7
For
3
Against
1
On
3
Names

For

  • Self; TX4001 registration
  • Texas Dermatological Society1 registration
  • Texas Physicians for Patients PAC1 registration

Against

  • Self1 registration

On

  • Self1 registration
  • TDLR1 registration
  • Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation1 registration
Sources

7 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Senate witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 9, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R SB 1120

by Sen. Schwertner, same lead author · Did not pass · reworked

Introduced text

Last action, May 19, 2023: Postponed

Relating to certain prohibited practices by a barber or cosmetologist.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Nov 15, 2024

06/02/2025 E Vetoed by the Governor

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed · House Committee Report · Enrolled

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors
Carol AlvaradoDSenate 6
Sponsors
Dade PhelanRHouse 21

House committee · Licensing & Administrative Procedures · Committee vote 12 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Business & Commerce · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Occupational Regulation--Other Trades & Professions

BARBERS

COSMETOLOGISTS

LICENSING & REGULATION, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 305 words

89R2907 CMO-F

By: Schwertner
S.B. No. 378

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to certain prohibited practices by a barber or

cosmetologist.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter E-1, Chapter 1603, Occupations Code,

is amended by adding Section 1603.2110 to read as follows:

Sec. 1603.2110. PROHIBITED MEDICAL PRACTICES. (a) Except

as provided by Subsection (b), a person performing a barbering or

cosmetology service within the scope of a license or permit issued

under this subchapter may not:

(1) make an incision into the dermis layer of a

person's skin, including for purposes of injecting a medication or

other substance; or

(2) use a device, as defined by Section 551.003.

(b) A person holding a license or permit issued under this

subchapter may perform an act described by Subsection (a) as part of

a barbering or cosmetology service if the person is licensed to

perform that act in this state or is otherwise authorized by law to

perform that act. In a disciplinary action by the department

related to an act in violation of Subsection (a), the license or

permit holder has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the

evidence that the person is licensed or otherwise authorized to

perform the act.

(c) This section does not affect the authority of another

state agency regulating a profession to enforce any law related to

that profession.

SECTION 2. Section 1603.2110, Occupations Code, as added by

this Act, applies only to conduct that occurs on or after the

effective date of this Act. Conduct that occurs before the

effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the

date the conduct occurred, and the former law is continued in effect

for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.