Ohio committee hears sponsor testimony on allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work until 9 p.m. year-round

The Ohio House Commerce and Labor Committee heard sponsor testimony on Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 and Senate Bill 50, which would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work until 9 p.m. year-round if parents and a school administrator approve, during a committee meeting that included member questions and no formal votes.

Sponsor testimony came from Senator Schaeffer, who told the committee, “This legislation urges congress to expand hours that 14 and 15 year olds can work until 9PM year round as long as they have parental consent and school approval.” He said the change is aimed at helping young people develop job skills and easing staffing challenges faced by employers across Ohio.

The measures preserve existing youth-employment limits in Ohio law, including a maximum of three hours of work per day while school is in session and no more than 18 hours per week during the school year, and require parental and school sign-off on work permits. “These rules, these laws will stay in place under these legislation,” Schaeffer said.

Nut graf: The resolution urges Congress to change the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to permit later hours for 14- and 15-year-olds; Senate Bill 50 would put the same change into Ohio law. Supporters say the measures align state rules with a handful of other states that allow later hours for younger teens in limited circumstances; opponents and some committee members raised questions about federal preemption, academic impacts, and whether the change could be used to substitute youth labor for adult employees.

Discussion highlights

- Federal preemption and microbusiness exception: Ranking Member McNally asked how states that permit later hours for younger teens overcome conflicts with federal law. Schaeffer said the FLSA contains an exception that applies to very small employers that do not engage in interstate commerce and have less than $500,000 in annual revenue; those states rely on that exception for the policy. Schaeffer added that the resolution asks Congress to change the FLSA more broadly so the state law would not depend on that microbusiness threshold.

- Parents’ and schools’ role: Several members pressed why schools must sign work permits. Vice Chair Lear asked whether schools have a veto over a child working until 9 p.m.; Schaeffer replied that the school signature is required on the work permit and that schools can observe academic or behavioral problems earlier than parents might and thus serve as an additional safeguard.

- Concern about displacing adult jobs and students’ academics: Representative Rader said he was uncomfortable with loosening child-labor restrictions to address workforce shortages, asking, “Is loosening child labor laws really the way to do that?” Schaeffer replied the bills keep strict hourly limits (three hours a day, 18 hours a week) and emphasized the sponsor’s view that the measures provide opportunity and reinforce work habits rather than replace adult employment.

- Support from business groups: Senator Schaeffer listed organizational backers of the bill, saying it has support from NFIB in Ohio, the Ohio Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance, Americans for Prosperity Ohio, the Greater Ohio Showmen’s Association, and the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce.

Procedure and outcome

Both Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 and Senate Bill 50 received sponsor testimony as the committee’s first hearings on the measures. No formal votes were taken during the meeting; the chair concluded the hearings and the committee adjourned.

Ending: Committee members asked for follow-up on technical questions, including whether the school signature requirement is mandated by federal law; the sponsor agreed to follow up through the chair’s office. The committee took no final action on either measure during the session.