An Act to amend and reenact § 40.1-100 of the Code of Virginia, relating to employment of children; summer camps.
HB1218 amends Virginia’s child labor law, specifically § 40.1-100, to create a new exception for certain work performed by children at summer camps. The bill is framed as an update to the state’s list of prohibited and restricted occupations for minors, which otherwise bars children under 18 from hazardous work and children under 16 from a broader set of jobs. The text shown preserves the existing structure of Virginia’s child employment restrictions, including limits on mining, manufacturing, machinery, hazardous substances, alcohol-related work, demolition, driving, logging, meatpacking, and other dangerous occupations.
The bill’s practical effect is to adjust how the child labor statute applies to summer camp settings, likely allowing limited employment or participation by minors in camp-related work that would otherwise be restricted under the general child labor rules. Because the bill amends the core child labor statute, it affects employers operating summer camps, youth workers, and the Department of Labor and Industry’s enforcement of hazardous occupation rules. It does not repeal the broader protections in § 40.1-100, but instead adds a targeted exception within that framework.
HB1218 changes Virginia Code § 40.1-100, the state’s principal child labor restriction statute. Its impact is to carve out or clarify an exception tied to summer camps while leaving the rest of the hazardous-occupation prohibitions intact. As a result, camp operators may have additional flexibility to employ minors in camp-related roles, but only within the limits established by the amended statute and any related labor regulations. The bill primarily affects employers, minor workers, and state labor regulators responsible for enforcing child employment standards.
The available record shows no committee transcript, recorded votes, or other debate excerpts, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or support in the materials provided. The fact that the bill was enacted as Chapter 269 suggests it ultimately received sufficient legislative approval. Based on the subject matter, the bill appears to have been treated as a targeted technical or policy adjustment rather than a broadly controversial overhaul of child labor law.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. In general, bills of this type can raise questions about balancing youth employment opportunities at summer camps against child safety and labor protections, but the record here does not identify any particular dispute, amendment fight, or stakeholder position. The main affected parties are summer camp operators, minor employees, parents, and labor enforcement officials.