Update on the youth employment bill

The governor recently signed Senate File 542, which makes updates to Iowa’s youth employment laws. This bill changed significantly in its journey through the Legislature.

This bill was developed with Iowa Workforce Development and Iowa businesses, including grocery stores and restaurants, which hire many individuals under 18. This bill went through many changes throughout the process, including incorporating changes suggested by the labor unions, the bar association and House Democrats. It strikes a balance to ensure parental consent and safety while also enabling young Iowans to build work ethic and skills, earn their own money, and begin down the path to figuring out their future.

A Des Moines Register poll recently found that 57 percent of parents approve of relaxing “child labor laws to allow teens to work in previously restricted jobs and work longer hours so long as they are a part of an approved training program.”

This bill makes the following changes for work activities for those under 18 years of age:

• Adds work activities for 14-year-olds, including using a microwave, loading and unloading vehicles, using kitchen cleaning products, and laundering;

• Adds work activities for 15-year-olds, including becoming a lifeguard if licensed, lifting items weighing up to 30 pounds;

• Extends the timeframe for persons under 16 to work;

• Makes changes to the work prohibitions for 16 and 17-year-olds (Section 8), by allowing performance of light assembly work near machines, allowing driving a vehicle, and loading balers;

• Makes changes to work-based learning programs (Section 9);

• Allows the DIAL Director to waive or reduce a civil penalty based on the evidence, and may allow for a 15-day grace period before imposing a civil penalty (Section 17);

• Clarifies liability of students in work-based learning programs driving to and from work (Section 19);

• Allows a retail alcohol licensee, that is not a bar, to employ a 16 or 17-year-old to sell and serve alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption if the licensee has on file written permission from the parent (Section 20);

• Establishes an interim study committee on minor’s driver licenses.

Since the bill’s passage, there has been come chatter about a letter sent from the Biden administration regarding portions of the bill that may not be identical with federal regulation. This letter did not review the final version of the bill, but earlier versions that had since gone through many changes.

This bill has come a long way since it was introduced. Hopefully, through the legislative process major issues were ironed out. I appreciate the great discussions and emails I received on various versions of the bill. Those discussions resulted in a good bill that can protect kids but also give them opportunities for employment.

Rep. Megan Jones (R-Sioux Rapids) serves parts of Clay and Buena Vista counties in Iowa House District 6.