The SALONS Stories Act amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act to boost federal grant funding for states that require domestic violence prevention training as part of cosmetology or barber licensing. The training must be provided at no cost to the trainee by a nonprofit anti-violence organization and focuses on recognizing signs of abuse, how to respond, and how to refer clients to resources.
The bill defines an “eligible State” as one with such licensing-law requirements and authorizes an increase in grant amounts up to 10 percent of a state’s average funding under the existing grant program, for one-year terms with the possibility of renewal for up to three years. Funding for the program is set at $5 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2032.
At a Glance
What It Does
Establishes a new grant increase under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act for states that require DV prevention training in cosmetology or barber licensing. The training is online or in-person, provided at no cost by a nonprofit DV organization, and the increase is capped at 10% of the state’s recent grant average.
Who It Affects
Eligible states with licensing laws for cosmetologists or barbers, their licensing boards, and the nonprofit organizations delivering the training. Also affects DOJ grant administration and license applicants.
Why It Matters
Creates a targeted incentive to embed DV prevention and referral pathways into licensing, potentially strengthening survivor support networks and early intervention while shaping federal grant allocations.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The bill recalibrates federal support to states that embed domestic violence prevention training into the licensing process for cosmetologists and barbers. It defines the training as programs offered online or in person by a nonprofit anti-DV organization at no cost to those seeking licensure, covering recognition, response, and referral to resources.
A state becomes eligible if it already has a law requiring such training for license applicants. For eligible states, the Attorney General would increase the state’s grant amount by up to 10% of the state’s average funding from the three most recent awards under the grant program, with increases issued as 1-year terms and eligible for renewal for up to three years.
The authorization for these increases is $5 million per year from 2026 to 2032.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill creates a new grant increase for states that require DV prevention training in cosmetology or barber licensing.
Training must be delivered by a nonprofit DV organization and provided at no cost to the trainee.
The grant increase is capped at 10% of the state’s average funding under the existing grant program for the three most recent awards.
Each grant increase lasts for 1 year and may be renewed for up to 3 years.
The program authorizes $5 million annually for 2026–2032 to support these increases.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Short title
Section 1 designates the act’s official name as the SALONS Stories Act (Supporting the Abused by Learning Options to Navigate Survivor Stories Act). This establishes the bill’s identity and reference for all future citations within the statute.
Grant increases for DV training in licensing
Section 2 adds a new subsection to the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act to create a grant-increase mechanism. It defines DV prevention training for licensing as online or in-person training by a nonprofit anti-DV organization, provided at no cost to the trainee, that teaches recognition, response, and referral to resources. It also defines what constitutes an eligible State and sets out the formula for increasing a state’s grant by up to 10% of its average grant funding over the three most recent awards, with a 1-year term that can be renewed for up to three years. An annual appropriation of $5 million is authorized for 2026–2032.
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Who Benefits
- States that pass DV-prevention training requirements for cosmetology or barber licensing will receive increased grant funding to support implementation.
- State licensing boards (cosmetology/barber) gain a funding mechanism to incorporate training into licensure workflows and compliance.
- Nonprofit organizations that provide DV prevention training stand to expand their reach and capacity with federally funded support.
- Licensed cosmetologists and barbers in eligible states will access DV training at no cost, increasing their DV awareness and ability to refer clients to resources.
- Domestic violence survivors in those states could benefit from improved detection and access to support services due to increased training and provider referrals.
Who Bears the Cost
- The U.S. Department of Justice (Attorney General’s Office) bears administrative and programmatic costs to administer the grant-increase program.
- States implementing the training face administrative costs to revise licensing processes and monitor compliance with the new requirement.
- Licensed boards and agencies must administer the training integration, potentially absorbing onboarding and reporting costs.
- Nonprofit training providers incur upfront costs to develop and deliver the program (though funded by the grants).
- Federal taxpayers fund the additional outlays through the appropriations authorized in the bill.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central dilemma is whether using grant boosts to push states to add DV training into licensing will yield meaningful survivor protections without imposing burdens on states’ licensing systems or creating a dependency on annual appropriations that may wane over time.
The SALONS Stories Act ties grant incentives to states adopting a specific DV-prevention licensing requirement, creating potential implementation complexity across varied state licensing regimes. Because the training is delivered by nonprofits at no cost to individuals, program success hinges on the availability and quality of nonprofit providers and on states’ ability to enforce the licensing requirement.
The one-year grant increase, with a cap of three years, introduces funding uncertainty and potential administrative churn as states seek renewals. Additionally, outcomes depend on the effectiveness of the training in increasing referrals and access to DV resources, which are not measured in this text.
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