Board of Barbers of the Department of Professional & Occupational Licensing v. Big Sky College of Barberstyling, Inc.

No. 88-397 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA 1981 THE BOARD OF BARBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING OF THE STATE OF MONTANA, Respondent and Appellant, VS. BIG SKY COLLEGE OF BARBER-STYLING, INC., a Montana Corporation, Petitioner and Respondent. Appeal from: District Court of the Fourth Judicial District, Honorable James B. Wheelis, Judge presiding. Counsel of Record: For Appellant: Roger Tippy, Helena, Montana For Respondent: Ellingson and Lovitt, Missoula, Montana Submitted on briefs: February 25, 1981 Decided : APR 2 4 1981 qJd-Hw Clerk M r . C h i e f J u s t i c e F r a n k I . H a s w e l l d e l i v e r e d t h e O p i n i o n of t h e Court. The sole i s s u e i n t h i s c a s e is t h e v a l i d i t y of a n admi- n i s t r a t i v e r u l e o f t h e Board of B a r b e r s r e q u i r i n g a y e a r ' s a p p r e n t i c e s h i p s e r v e d i n a c o m m e r c i a l b a r b e r s h o p p r i o r to exami- n a t i o n and l i c e n s i n g a s a b a r b e r . The D i s t r i c t C o u r t h e l d t h e r u l e invalid. W e af f i r m . I n O c t o b e r , 1 9 7 9 , Big Sky C o l l e g e a s k e d t h e Board of B a r b e r s i f C l a r e Delaney, a r e c e n t g r a d u a t e , could t e a c h a t t h e c o l l e g e and q u a l i f y t h a t t e a c h i n g a c t i v i t y a s a n a p p r e n t i c e s h i p f o r t h e p u r p o s e o f e x a m i n a t i o n and l i c e n s i n g a s a b a r b e r . The Board t r e a t e d t h i s r e q u e s t a s a p e t i t i o n f o r a d e c l a r a t o r y r u l i n g u n d e r t h e Montana A d m i n i s t r a t i v e P r o c e d u r e A c t (MAPA) . Following a h e a r i n g , t h e Board r u l e d t h a t t h e t e a c h i n g a c t i v i t y c o u l d c o u n t f o r h a l f a y e a r ' s a p p r e n t i c e s h i p p r o v i d e d t h e o t h e r h a l f y e a r was s e r v e d i n a commercial barbershop. B i g Sky C o l l e g e p e t i t i o n e d f o r j u d i c i a l r e v i e w of t h a t ruling. The D i s t r i c t C o u r t o f M i s s o u l a County h e l d t h e r u l e i n v a l i d and awarded summary j u d g m e n t i n f a v o r of t h e C o l l e g e . The Board h a s a p p e a l e d t h i s judgment t o t h i s C o u r t . The p a r t i e s h a v e s t i p u l a t e d t h a t C l a r e D e l a n e y w i l l r e t a i n h e r l i c e n s e r e g a r d l e s s o f t h e outcome o f t h i s a p p e a l . Thus i t i s o n l y t h e v a l i d i t y o f t h e r u l e a s i n t e r p r e t e d by t h e Board t h a t is t h e s u b j e c t of t h i s appeal. The r e l e v a n t s t a t u t e p r o v i d e s : "On c o m p l e t i o n o f 1 y e a r of a p p r e n t i c e s h i p u n d e r t h e i m m e d i a t e p e r s o n a l s u p e r v i s i o n of a l i c e n s e d b a r b e r , an a p p r e n t i c e must a p p l y to t h e d e p a r t - m e n t t o t a k e t h e e x a m i n a t i o n f o r a b a r b e r ' s cer- t i f i c a t e of r e g i s t r a t i o n . " S e c t i o n 37-30-305, MCA. An a p p r e n t i c e i s s t a t u t o r i l y d e f i n e d a s f o l l o w s : "An ' a p p r e n t i c e ' , u n d e r t h i s c h a p t e r , is a p e r - s o n who r e c e i v e s i n s t r u c t i o n i n a n a p p r o v e d b a r b e r s c h o o l or c o l l e g e and from a b a r b e r a u t h o r i z e d to p r a c t i c e b a r b e r i n g i n t h i s s t a t e .I1 S e c t i o n 37-30-101 ( 2 ) , MCA. The B o a r d ' s r u l e a t i s s u e h e r e p r o v i d e s : " E v e r y a p p r e n t i c e m u s t s e r v e o n e n o r m a l work y e a r , or i t s e q u i v a l e n t a t t h e d i s c r e t i o n of t h e b o a r d , as a n a p p r e n t i c e b e f o r e he c a n t a k e t h e b a r b e r e x a m i n a t i o n . " S e c t i o n 40-3.18 ( 6 ) - S 1 8 6 0 ( 3 ) MAC. The Board a r g u e s t h a t i t h a s a u t h o r i t y to a d o p t r u l e s f o r a d m i n i s t e r i n g a s t a t u t o r y g r a n t of power, c i t i n g s e c t i o n 37-30-203(2), MCA; it c o n t e n d s t h a t i t s r u l e i n t e r p r e t i n g t h e s t a t u t o r y term " o n e y e a r o f a p p r e n t i c e s h i p " f a l l s w i t h i n i t s a u t h o r i t y w h e r e t h e l e g i s l a t u r e g a v e no g u i d a n c e as t o i t s meaning. The Board u r g e s u s t o a p p l y t h e MAPA s t a n d a r d o f " r e a s o n a b l e n e c e s s i t y t o e f f e c t u a t e t h e p u r p o s e of t h e s t a t u t e " i n determining t h e v a l i d i t y of its r u l e , c i t i n g s e c t i o n s 2-4-305(4), ( 5 ) , and 2 - 4 - 5 0 6 ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) , MCA. The Board c r i t i c i - z e s r e c e n t Montana cases as d e v e l o p i n g a common law i n c o n s i s t e n t with the statutes. Specifically, appellant criticizes the f o l l o w i n g l a n g u a g e i n B e l l v. Dept. o f P r o f e s s i o n a l and Occupational Licensing (1979) , Mont . , 594 P.2d 3 3 1 , 36 "The c o u r t s h a v e u n i f o r m l y h e l d t h a t a d m i n i s t r a - t i v e r e g u l a t i o n s a r e ' o u t o f harmony' w i t h l e g i s l a t i v e g u i d e l i n e s i f t h e y ( 1) ' e n g r a f t a d d i t i o n a l and c o n t r a d i c t o r y r e q u i r e m e n t s o n t h e s t a t u t e ' ( c i t a t i o n o m i t t e d ) ; or ( 2 ) i f they engraf t a d d i t i o n a l , noncontrad i c t o r y require- m e n t s o n t h e s t a t u t e which were n o t e n v i s i o n e d b y t h e l e g i s l a t u r e . A r i z o n a S t . Bd. o f F u n e r a l Directors v. P e r l m a n ( 1 9 7 2 ) , 1 0 8 A r i z . 3 3 , 492 P.2d 6 9 4 . " The Board c o n t e n d s t h e s e c o n d B e l l t e s t a b o v e is i n a c c u r a t e and s h o u l d n o t be a p p l i e d . W e a g r e e t h a t i n d e t e r m i n i n g t h e v a l i d i t y o f t h e Board 's r u l e i n t h i s case t h e MAPA t e s t of " r e a s o n a b l e n e c e s s i t y t o e f f e c t u a t e t h e p u r p o s e o f t h e s t a t u t e " s h o u l d be a p p l i e d . The s t a t u t e e x p r e s s l y so p r o v i d e s : "Whenever by t h e e x p r e s s o r i m p l i e d terms o f a n y s t a t u t e a state agency has a u t h o r i t y t o adopt r u l e s t o i m p l e m e n t , i n t e r p r e t , make s p e c i f i c , o r o t h e r w i s e c a r r y o u t t h e p r o v i s i o n s of t h e s t a t u t e , no r u l e a d o p t e d is v a l i d or e f f e c t i v e u n l e s s c o n s i s t e n t and n o t i n c o n f l i c t w i t h t h e s t a t u t e and r e a s o n a b l y n e c e s s a r y t o e f f e c t u a t e t h e p u r p o s e - -e s t a t u t e of t h S e c t i o n 2 - 4 - 3 0 5 ( 5 ) , MCA. ." (~mpLsis added . ) W e d i s a g r e e t h a t r e c e n t Montana cases h a v e a d o p t e d a d i f - f e r e n t s t a n d a r d o r h a v e d e v e l o p e d a common l a w i n c o n s i s t e n t w i t h the statutes. The l a n g u a g e c r i t i c i z e d by t h e Board i n B e l l a r t i - c u l a t e s t h e t w o r e q u i r e m e n t s o f s e c t i o n 2-4-305 ( 5 ) , MCA, quoted i n the preceding paragraph. I n B e l l we h e l d an a d m i n i s t r a t i v e r u l e o f t h e Board o f B a r b e r s i n v a l i d w h i c h r e q u i r e d t h e s u c c e s s - f u l p a s s i n g o f a n i n s t r u c t o r ' s e x a m i n a t i o n f o r l i c e n s i n g as a b a r b e r i n s t r u c t o r i n t h e f a c e of a s t a t u t e t h a t r e q u i r e d o n l y 1 0 y e a r s e x p e r i e n c e and a c h a r a c t e r i n v e s t i g a t i o n . S t a t e ex r e l . S w a r t v. Casne e t a l . ( 1 9 7 7 ) , 1 7 2 Mont. 3 0 2 , 5 6 4 P.2d 983, s t r u c k down a d m i n i s t r a t i v e r u l e s o f t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f Community Af f a i r s t h a t were i n c o n f l i c t w i t h M o n t a n a ' s S u b d i v i s i o n and P l a t t i n g Act. W e i n v a l i d a t e d an a d m i n i s t r a t i v e r u l e of t h e Department of S o c i a l and R e h a b i l i t a t i o n S e r v i c e s t h a t r e q u i r e d a p p l i c a t i o n f o r b e n e f i t s w i t h i n 5 d a y s a f t e r r e c e i p t o f m e d i c a l care b e c a u s e t h e r u l e d i d n o t e f f e c t u a t e t h e purpose of t h e s t a t u t e , v i z . p r o v i d i n g a i d to t h e i n d i g e n t . M i c h e l s v. D e p t . o f S o c i a l and R e h a b i l - i t a t i o n Services (1980), Mont . , 609 P.2d 271, 37 S t . R e p . 546. C o n t r a r y t o a p p e l l a n t ' s c o n t e n t i o n , t h e s e r e c e n t Montana cases h a v e c o n s i s t e n t l y a p p l i e d t h e MAPA s t a n d a r d s i n d e t e r m i n i n g t h e v a l i d i t y of a d m i n i s t r a t i v e r u l e s a d o p t e d by s t a t e a g e n c i e s . W e a p p l y t h e same MAPA s t a n d a r d s i n t h i s case. Here t h e s t a t u t e r e q u i r e s a y e a r of a p p r e n t i c e s h i p served "under t h e imme- d i a t e p e r s o n a l s u p e r v i s i o n of a l i c e n s e d barber" i n o r d e r t o q u a l i f y f o r e x a m i n a t i o n and l i c e n s i n g as a b a r b e r . The B o a r d ' s r u l e r e q u i r e s a n a p p r e n t i c e t o s e r v e " o n e n o r m a l work y e a r , o r i t s e q u i v a l e n t a t t h e d i s c r e t i o n of t h e board" b e f o r e a p e r s o n becomes e l i g i b l e f o r e x a m i n a t i o n and l i c e n s i n g as a b a r b e r . I 1 N o r m a l work y e a r " as i n t e r p r e t e d by t h e Board u n d e r i t s r u l e means a n a p p r e n t i c e s h i p s e r v e d i n a commercial b a r b e r s h o p s e t t i n g , while the s t a t u t e simply r e q u i r e s a y e a r ' s apprentice- s h i p s e r v e d " u n d e r t h e i m m e d i a t e p e r s o n a l s u p e r v i s i o n of a licensed barber." Thus t h e B o a r d ' s r u l e e n g r a f t s a n a d d i t i o n a l r e q u i r e m e n t on a p p r e n t i c e s h i p not contained i n t h e s t a t u t e . In o u r v i e w , t h i s a d d i t i o n a l r e q u i r e m e n t t h a t a p p r e n t i c e s h i p be s e r v e d i n a c o m m e r c i a l b a r b e r s h o p d o e s n o t s a t i s f y t h e t e s t of " r e a s o n a b l e n e c e s s i t y to e f f e c t u a t e t h e p u r p o s e of t h e s t a t u t e , " s e c t i o n 2-4-305(5), MCA, v i z . r e q u i r i n g a p e r i o d of t r a i n i n g p r i o r t o q u a l i f y i n g f o r e x a m i n a t i o n and l i c e n s i n g a s a b a r b e r . It engrafts additional, n o n c o n t r a d i c t o r y r e q u i r e m e n t s on a p p r e n - t i c e s h i p p r o h i b i t e d by B e l l and M i c h e l s . W e hold the r u l e a s i n t e r p r e t e d by t h e Board i n v a l i d . Af f i r m e d . Chief J u s t i c e W e concur: