An Act amending the the act of October 24, 2012 (P.L.1209, No.151), known as the Child Labor Act, further providing for definitions, for occupations and establishments, for employment of minors in a performance and for duties of employer; repealing provisions relating to work permit; and further providing for administration and for newspaper delivery.

PRINTER'S NO. 2126
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1726
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MOUL, BERNSTINE, STENDER, M. JONES, T. JONES,
COOK, SMITH, STAATS, ANDERSON, E. NELSON, ZIMMERMAN, ROWE,
JAMES AND GILLEN, JULY 11, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND INDUSTRY, JULY 14, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of October 24, 2012 (P.L.1209, No.151),
entitled "An act regulating child labor; conferring powers
and duties on the Department of Labor and Industry and the
Department of Education; imposing penalties; and making a
repeal," further providing for definitions, for occupations
and establishments, for employment of minors in a performance
and for duties of employer; repealing provisions relating to
work permit; and further providing for administration and for
newspaper delivery.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The definition of "work permit" in section 2 of
the act of October 24, 2012 (P.L.1209, No.151), known as the
Child Labor Act, is amended to read:
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
* * *
["Work permit." A transferable work permit allowing
employment of a minor.]
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* * *
Section 2. Sections 4(d)(3), 5(c)(5) and 8(a), (b) and (d)
(3) of the act are amended to read:
Section 4. Occupations and establishments.
* * *
(d) Occupations for minors less than 14 years of age.--An
individual less than 14 years of age may be employed as follows:
* * *
(3) An individual who is at least 12 years of age may be
employed as a youth sports official [and shall not be
required to procure a work permit]. Youth sports officials
who are 12 and 13 years of age shall be subject to the same
limitations established in section 3 for individuals who are
14 and 15 years of age.
Section 5. Employment of minors in a performance.
* * *
(c) Entertainment permits.--The following shall apply:
* * *
[(5) The work permit requirements of section 9 do not
apply to the issuance of permits under this section.]
* * *
Section 8. Duties of employer.
(a) [Work permits and parental] Parental authorization.--
(1) Unless a minor has the items listed in paragraph
(2), a minor may not be employed or permitted to work:
(i) in, about or in connection with an
establishment; or
(ii) in an occupation.
(2) To be employed, a minor under 16 years of age must
have [all of the following:
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(i) A work permit.
(ii) For individuals who are under 16 years of age,]
a written statement by the minor's parent or legal
guardian acknowledging understanding of the duties and
hours of employment and granting permission to work
subject to the provisions of 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904 (relating
to unsworn falsification to authorities).
(3) Before employing a minor, an employer shall [do all
of the following:
(i) Verify the work permit under paragraph (2)(i).
(ii) Receive the verified statement under paragraph
(2)(ii).] receive the verified statement under paragraph
(2).
[(4) An individual who is more than 16 years of age
employed in the distribution, sale, exposing or offering for
sale of any newspaper, or any minor who can demonstrate that
he is working independently of the newspaper publisher in
this work, shall not be required to procure a work permit.
(b) Notification.--The employer shall notify the issuing
officer in writing of the employment of a minor and shall detail
the normal duties and hours of employment within five days after
the beginning of employment and shall include the age and permit
number of the minor. On termination of employment of a minor,
the employer shall notify the issuing officer within five days
of the final day of employment that the minor no longer is
employed by the employer.]
* * *
(d) Records.--An employer shall maintain the following
records at the workplace:
* * *
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(3) For each minor, the employer shall keep a copy of
[the work permit,] the original verified permission statement
required in subsection (a) [and a copy of the letter sent to
the issuing officer announcing the employment of the minor].
* * *
Section 3. Section 9 of the act is repealed:
[Section 9. Work permit.
(a) Form and content.--
(1) A work permit shall be issued on a wallet-sized form
prescribed by the department. The work permit shall contain
the following information related to the minor:
(i) Name.
(ii) Sex.
(iii) Date and place of birth.
(iv) Place of residence.
(v) Color of hair and eyes.
(vi) Any physical work restrictions.
(2) The work permit shall certify that:
(i) the holder has personally appeared before the
issuing officer and has been examined;
(ii) all papers required by law have been examined,
approved and filed; and
(iii) all conditions and requirements for issuing a
permit have been fulfilled.
(3) The work permit shall be signed by the minor.
(4) The work permit shall bear a number, the date of
issuance and the signature of the issuing officer.
(b) Application.--
(1) Documentation shall be as follows:
(i) Except as set forth under subparagraph (ii), the
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application for a work permit must be verified as
follows:
(A) The applicant's parent or legal guardian
must sign the application.
(B) In lieu of a signature under clause (A), the
applicant may execute a statement before a notary
public or other person authorized to administer oaths
attesting to the accuracy of the facts set forth in
the application on a form prescribed by the
department. The statement shall be attached to the
application.
(ii) Subparagraph (i) does not apply if the
applicant can demonstrate official proof of high school
graduation.
(iii) The issuing officer shall not issue a work
permit until the issuing officer has received, examined,
approved and filed the following papers which verify the
applicant's age:
(A) If proof of age is an official document or
record of the Commonwealth or government of another
state or governmental subdivision of another state,
it need not be filed if the issuing officer records
the information necessary to enable the document or
record to be located at the place where it is filed.
If proof of age is other than an official document or
record of the Commonwealth or government of another
state or governmental subdivision of another state,
the following is the order of preference for
acceptable proof under this clause:
(I) An attested transcript of the birth
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certificate, filed according to law with a
register of vital statistics or other officer
charged with the duty of recording births.
(II) A certified baptismal certificate or
transcript of the record of baptism showing the
date of birth.
(III) A passport showing the age of the
minor.
(IV) Any certified documentary record of age
other than a school record or an affidavit of
age, which appears to the satisfaction of the
issuing officer to be sufficient evidence of age.
(V) The signed statement of a physician,
physician's assistant or nurse practitioner,
approved by the board of school directors,
stating that, after examination, it is the
opinion of the individual signing the statement
that the applicant has attained the age required
by law for the occupation in which the applicant
expects to engage. The statement must be
accompanied by an affidavit signed by the
applicant's parent or legal guardian or, if there
is no parent or legal guardian, by the
applicant's next friend and certifying to the
name, date and place of birth of the applicant
and that the individual signing the statement is
unable to produce any of the proofs of age
specified in subclauses (I), (II), (III) and
(IV).
(B) (Reserved).
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(2) Examination shall be as follows:
(i) Except as set forth under subparagraphs (ii) and
(iii), a work permit shall not be issued until the
applicant has personally appeared before and has been
examined by the issuing officer.
(ii) Subparagraph (i) does not apply if the
applicant can demonstrate official proof of high school
graduation.
(iii) The issuing officer may allow the applicant to
appear by video conference or other electronic means, in
lieu of requiring the physical presence of the applicant.
(c) Issuance.--If all application requirements are met, a
work permit shall be issued by an issuing officer unless it is
the issuing officer's judgment that the applicant cannot
maintain adequate academic achievement if permitted to work
during the school year.
(d) Revocation.--An issuing officer may revoke a work permit
if it is the issuing officer's judgment that the applicant
cannot maintain adequate academic achievement if permitted to
work during the school year.
(e) Cooperation.--The issuing officer shall cooperate with
an enforcement officer with investigation and enforcement of
this act.]
Section 4. Sections 10(d) and (e) and 14(c) of the act are
amended to read:
Section 10. Administration.
* * *
[(d) Duties of school districts.--School districts shall
administer applications and issuance of work permits under
section 9 and shall notify the department of alleged violations
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of this act.]
(e) Suspected violations of age requirements.--
(1) If an enforcement officer has reason to believe that
an individual [working without a work permit is a minor or
that a minor with a work permit] is working in violation of
the age restrictions set forth under this act, the officer
may demand that the person employing the individual within
ten days:
(i) furnish to the officer proof of age; or
(ii) cease to employ or permit the individual to
work.
(2) Proof of a demand under paragraph (1) and of failure
to comply with paragraph (1)(i) constitutes prima facie
evidence of the illegal employment of a minor.
(3) Compliance with this subsection does not relieve a
person from liability under section 11.
Section 14. Newspaper delivery.
* * *
[(c) Work permit.--An individual who is more than 16 years
of age employed in the distribution, sale, offering for sale of
any newspaper, or any minor who can demonstrate that he is
working independently of the newspaper publisher, shall not be
required to procure a work permit.]
Section 5. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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