An Act to create 103.66 (1) (c) of the statutes; Relating to: allowing employment of minors in the operation of a pizza-dough roller. (FE)
Summary
SB883 would create a new exception in Wisconsin’s child labor law allowing minors who are 16 years of age or older to operate a pizza-dough roller at work, so long as specified federal safety safeguards are in place. The bill ties the permission to the machine meeting the safety conditions in 29 CFR 570.62(b)(2) and adds state-level requirements that the machine’s design prevent entanglement, the gears be fully enclosed, and microswitches disable the machine if protective covers are removed.
The bill also makes clear that the minor may only operate the machine and may not set up, adjust, repair, oil, or clean it. In effect, SB883 narrows Wisconsin’s existing prohibition on minors working with certain power-driven bakery machines by carving out a limited, safety-conditioned allowance for pizza-dough rollers specifically.
Impact
If enacted, SB883 would amend Wisconsin Statutes section 103.66 by adding a new subsection permitting limited employment of 16- and 17-year-olds on pizza-dough rollers. It would modify the Department of Workforce Development’s authority under current hazardous-occupation rules by requiring the department to allow this specific task when the listed safeguards are met, while leaving the broader restrictions on minors and hazardous bakery machinery intact for other equipment and duties.
Sentiment
The available record shows little public debate or committee testimony, so there is no documented split in the discussion. The bill’s framing suggests a narrow, technical adjustment aimed at allowing a specific youth job duty under safety conditions, and its introduction with multiple cosponsors indicates at least some legislative support. However, the bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, so it did not advance into law.
Contention
The main policy tension is between expanding work opportunities for minors and preserving child labor protections around hazardous machinery. Supporters would likely view the bill as a limited, safety-based exception for a common restaurant task, while opponents or cautious regulators could be concerned that even a narrow exception may increase the risk of injury or weaken existing prohibitions on power-driven bakery equipment. The bill’s strict conditions on machine design and prohibited maintenance tasks appear intended to address those safety concerns.