Representative Rose presented an interim study proposal on behalf of Representative Gramlich that would emphasize education — not just enforcement — to reduce child-labor violations. The sponsor said the proposal contains two primary components: teach students the laws covering child labor and provide educational remedies for employers who mistakenly break the law.

Why it matters: the ISP aims to balance student work opportunities with safety and school attendance by ensuring students and employers understand statutory limits and responsibilities.

Rose said the proposal focuses on “educating those who make mistakes, not those who are serial or egregious offenders.” The proposal would direct the Labor Subcommittee during the interim to gather data and consider program designs that prioritize education and compliance over immediate penalties for first-time or minor violations.

A senator on the panel suggested the interim study should gather data from the Department of Education about seniors who take reduced schedules to work and whether the students are actually participating in work programs or are otherwise unaccounted for. Representative Rose agreed that such data would be useful for evaluating work-study participation and school attendance.

Action taken: the committee referred the ISP to the Labor Subcommittee for interim hearings; no statutory changes were made at the meeting.

Next steps: the Labor Subcommittee will schedule hearings during the interim to collect testimony from education officials, employers and other stakeholders and to develop recommendations for the next legislative session.

Less critical detail: sponsors emphasized the ISP is intended to help students learn responsibility through work while ensuring schools and state agencies can track participation and keep children safe.