Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Labor And Employment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee holds Department of Labor bill on youth-employment reporting for further review
Summary
House Bill 1302, which would revise employer reporting in the state's youth-employment system (YESS) and remove an obsolete mining 'belt examiner' reference, was presented and held for amendment; Department of Labor staff offered to investigate the system's history and usage after committee members raised questions about utility and oversight.
The committee heard House Bill 1302, a Department of Labor bill with two main provisions: revise employer reporting requirements in the youth-employment system (YESS) and remove a statutory reference to a mining "belt examiner" position not recognized by MSHA.
The chair outlined the bill's reporting change: update when minors are added or removed from employer records, clarifying an employer reporting window (described in committee discussion as a 14-day reporting expectation) and applying to employers with five or more employees aged 14–18. The chair also described a housekeeping change to excise a mining position that state officials said lacks federal recognition and practical utility.
Representative Walker pressed the Department of Labor on the reporting provision, asking why the system is still required given the apparent loss of correlation between the database and school corporations, and whether YESS provides meaningful oversight of minors' hours and work conditions. "I kind of feel like this is also potentially just inadequate to our current needs," Walker said, and asked the agency to explain how the information is used.
A Department of Labor staff member introduced Tony Hardman as the agency's general counsel and Deputy Commissioner for Youth and Employment, Wage and Hour. Hardman said he did not know the law's legislative history off the top of his head: "I'm not aware of the history on that," and recalled only that the YESS database replaced the prior work-permit system around 2020. He described a practical use: youth-employment inspectors check on-site time punches and then consult YESS to confirm whether working minors are registered; if a minor appears on the database but is not actually working, inspectors ask employers to correct the record.
Because an amendment had been circulated but would be revised, the chair said she would not call it today and instead would hold the bill to take amendments and vote next week. Hardman offered to investigate the system's history and come back with additional information to respond to Representative Walker's concerns.
The committee did not take a formal vote on House Bill 1302 at this meeting; the chair adjourned after stating the bill would be held for amendment and a vote at a future committee session.
