(Nebraska Examiner) - For some teenagers across the country, the summer is the first opportunity to gain work experience for their nascent resume.
In a handful of states, however, teens who find jobs will find fewer protections under child labor laws. Four states — Indiana, Nebraska, Washington and West Virginia — enacted laws this year that weaken child labor protections, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank. In all, 13 states had bills seeking to weaken those protections; some are still under consideration.
Another three states saw bills filed this year to increase child labor standards, with one state — Oregon — enacting a new law. Oregon now stipulates that state rules on the total hours a minor can work cannot be less restrictive than the federal Fair Labor Standards Act rules that were in effect on Jan. 1.
Among the states easing child labor laws this year, Nebraska established a lower minimum wage for 14- and 15-year-olds. West Virginia made changes that allow teens to work longer hours in youth apprenticeships and relaxed rules related to time working on hazardous work assignments.
Under a new Indiana law, the state’s Department of Labor will no longer be required to maintain the employer database for youth employment or require employers to participate in the database, meaning employers are not required to report that they employ workers younger than 18.
Washington state lawmakers made it easier for teens in approved work-based...
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