Further providing for employment of minors in student-learner and apprenticeship programs; providing for a review of laws and regulations related to the employment of minors; and abrogating regulations.
Summary
HB2481 amends Pennsylvania’s Child Labor Act to expand and clarify how minors may participate in certain career-oriented work programs. It states that minors may be employed in work experience and career exploration programs, apprenticeship programs, and school-to-work programs to the extent allowed by existing regulations and federal law. The bill also adds a new provision allowing a minor who has graduated from high school to work in an occupation for which the minor completed one of these programs, so long as the job is not prohibited by the Fair Labor Standards Act.
In addition to changing the statute, the bill directs the Department of Labor and Industry to review and replace the existing regulations in 34 Pa. Code Chapter 11. It requires the department to propose replacement regulations within one year of the effective date and abrogates the current chapter to the extent it conflicts with the new statutory language. The bill also provides a transition period under which the current regulations are fully abrogated once final replacement regulations are adopted or after three years, whichever comes first.
Impact
The bill would modify the Child Labor Act by expressly authorizing post-graduation employment for minors who completed approved career and apprenticeship programs, and by limiting conflicting state regulations. It would abrogate inconsistent portions of 34 Pa. Code Chapter 11 and require the Department of Labor and Industry to promulgate replacement regulations, thereby affecting employers, schools, apprenticeship sponsors, and minors participating in career and technical education pathways.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the available record suggests a generally supportive or at least procedural approach focused on aligning state law with workforce training and apprenticeship opportunities. The bill’s sponsors and caption indicate an emphasis on expanding career pathways for minors rather than restricting labor protections, while still preserving federal Fair Labor Standards Act limits.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the balance between expanding youth employment opportunities and maintaining child labor safeguards. Supporters are likely to view the bill as a workforce-development measure that helps students transition from training programs into jobs, while critics may be concerned that weakening or replacing existing regulations could reduce protections for minors or create uncertainty during the regulatory transition. Another possible issue is the extent to which the bill preempts or overrides existing Department of Labor and Industry rules.