The proposed bill introduces comprehensive regulations concerning youth employment in Iowa, particularly for individuals under eighteen. It establishes the role of the director of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing, and explicitly prohibits employment for those under fourteen years of age. For fourteen and fifteen-year-olds, the bill delineates permitted occupations, such as retail and food service, while banning hazardous jobs in manufacturing and mining. It also imposes restrictions on working hours for those under sixteen, ensuring they do not work before 7:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m., with exceptions during summer months. A work permit system is introduced for minors under sixteen, requiring employers to obtain permits that verify age and other relevant details, while allowing exceptions for family business work and certain volunteer activities.

Additionally, the bill reinstates specific statutory provisions altered by the 2023 Iowa Acts, Senate File 542, maintaining prohibitions on minors working in hazardous occupations and restricting employment by sexually violent predators or sex offenders. It mandates work permits for most employment situations and modifies the types of work and hours permitted for minors, eliminating previous waivers for civil penalties and certain exceptions for work-based learning programs. New penalties for violations are categorized as serious misdemeanors, with potential confinement and fines, and a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for employers who breach these regulations. The bill also updates terminology from "occupations" to "work activities," removes provisions allowing minors aged 16 to 17 to serve alcohol, and reflects the administrative transfer of oversight from the labor commissioner to the director of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing, ultimately aiming to enhance the enforcement of child labor laws and safeguard minors in the workforce.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 92.4, 331.653, 331.756