The proposed bill establishes new regulations for youth employment in Iowa, specifically for individuals under eighteen years of age. It prohibits employment for those under fourteen and outlines permitted occupations for fourteen and fifteen-year-olds, such as retail and food service, while banning them from hazardous jobs like manufacturing and mining. The bill also sets restrictions on working hours for those under sixteen, requiring breaks for longer shifts and mandating that work permits be obtained by employers and kept on file. It includes exceptions for work in family businesses and certain volunteer activities, while imposing penalties on parents and employers who violate these regulations.

Additionally, the bill reinstates provisions of the child labor law altered by the 2023 Iowa Acts, Senate File 542, and introduces penalties for individuals who knowingly provide items to minors intending to violate employment laws, classifying such actions as serious misdemeanors. It clarifies the authority of the director of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing to adopt rules regarding permissible work activities for minors and establishes civil penalties for violations, which can reach up to $10,000 per infraction. The bill also modifies existing language to specify permissible work activities based on age, retains prohibitions on minors working in hazardous environments, and eliminates previous exceptions for work-based learning programs, thereby enhancing protections for minors in the workforce.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 92.4, 331.653, 331.756