Bill overhauling Illinois child labor laws heads to Pritzker’s desk

SPRINGFIELD (WGEM) – A bill overhauling Illinois’ child labor laws is heading to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk. The state Senate voted unanimously to approve the amended House version of the bill.

The House passed the bill with bipartisan support Tuesday.

The bill would substantially update the state’s child labor laws for the first time in nearly 75 years.

An initiative of the Illinois Department of Labor, agency officials argue piecemeal changes over the years have created outdated, conflicting and disjointed provisions in state law.

“Were trying to just create a whole new bill, gut and replace it, and allow for an easier new way to manage the bill and understand and so employers and everyone else can understand it. I think right now it just creates a lot of unnecessary misunderstandings for a bill that is very important in protecting the vulnerable,” said state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, the bill’s House sponsor.

The bill would ban kids from working in jobs not covered 75 years ago. Those include working in cannabis shops and adult entertainment facilities.

It also limits the number of hours kids 15 and younger can work weekly to 18 hours during school weeks and 40 hours when school is not in session.

“We want them continue providing a great resource to our community and hopefully become that future doctor and so on, but we need to protect them now in those first jobs that they have,” Hernandez said.

The bill also adds protections for children in the film industry.

State Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, opposed the bill. He was highly critical of the bill not having exceptions for businesses owned by the child’s parent.

“This bill goes over the top,” Ugaste said. “It has limitations on hours and other things that don’t need to be as drastic as they are. I don’t mind revising this law to the extend it needs it but this, as it’s written, is an overreach.”

The bill does have exceptions allowing kids under 16 to work on their family’s farm.

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