To amend sections 3331.02 and 4109.07 of the Revised Code regarding age and schooling certificate requirements and work hours for a person under sixteen years of age.
Summary
SB 50 revises Ohio’s child labor and work-permit rules for minors under 16. It updates the age and schooling certificate process by specifying the documents needed to obtain a certificate, allowing certain medical professionals in addition to physicians to certify physical fitness, and requiring a parent or guardian-signed minor work hour notification form. The bill also directs the Director of Commerce to create a public form that explains the hours minors may work under state law.
The bill also amends the state’s hour limits for workers under 16. It keeps prohibitions on work during school hours and before 7 a.m., but changes evening work rules so minors may work between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. only with parent or guardian approval, while retaining the general 9 p.m. summer/holiday cutoff and 7 p.m. cutoff at other times. It preserves limits on daily and weekly hours and rest breaks, and it continues to regulate work hours for 16- and 17-year-olds who are still required to attend school.
In practical terms, SB 50 affects employers, parents, schools, and local school administrators who issue age and schooling certificates. It also updates the Revised Code sections governing youth employment documentation and work schedules, and it repeals the prior versions of those statutes. The bill appears to modernize administrative procedures while keeping the core child labor protections in place.
The general sentiment reflected in the voting history is supportive but not unanimous. The bill advanced through the Senate and House with clear majorities, indicating broad agreement on the need to update youth employment rules. At the same time, the recorded nays in both chambers suggest some concern about the policy changes, especially the revised evening work allowance and the broader handling of minor employment requirements.
The main point of contention is likely the balance between flexibility for teen employment and protection of school time and child welfare. Supporters appear to favor clearer paperwork, updated medical certification options, and a parent-notification process, while opponents may be concerned that the bill loosens restrictions by allowing more evening work with parental approval or adds complexity to enforcement of hour limits.
Impact
SB 50 amends Revised Code sections 3331.02 and 4109.07, replacing the prior statutory language governing age and schooling certificates and work-hour restrictions for minors under 16. It adds a parent- or guardian-signed work-hour notification form, expands who may provide physical fitness certifications, and requires the Department of Commerce to publish a standardized notice of minor work-hour rules. The bill also modifies the permitted hours of employment for minors and preserves related limits for 16- and 17-year-olds still subject to compulsory school attendance.
Sentiment
The bill’s overall sentiment appears generally favorable. It passed both chambers with comfortable margins, suggesting bipartisan or at least broad legislative support for updating youth employment procedures and clarifying work-hour rules. The presence of several dissenting votes in each chamber indicates that the bill was not unanimous, but the vote totals point to a prevailing view that the changes were acceptable and administratively useful.
Contention
The likely areas of disagreement are the bill’s adjustment of evening work rules for minors under 16 and whether the new notice-and-approval framework sufficiently protects school attendance and child safety. Some lawmakers may have viewed the parent/guardian approval provision as a reasonable flexibility measure, while others may have seen it as a weakening of child labor safeguards. There may also have been concern about shifting certification authority to additional medical professionals and about how employers and schools will implement the new documentation requirements.