Good morning Chair Johnson, Vice Chair Lear, Ranking Member McNally, and members of the committee. My name is Heather Smith, and I am a researcher with Policy Matters Ohio, a non-partisan, nonprofit think tank. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
I am writing today in support of increased enforcement of Ohio’s labor protections such as those outlined in House Bill 150. House Bill 150 would implement a monetary penalty for employers who knowingly or willfully employ a minor during hours prohibited by ORC Section 4109.07 and establish a fund for administration and enforcement of minor labor law.
The number of children impacted by child labor violations verified by the USDOL has increased 31% since pre-COVID.[1] Monetary penalties for breaking minor labor laws must be sufficient to disincentivize further violations. In Ohio’s case, there is currently only one civil monetary penalty in the minor labor law section of the Revised Code: up to $1,730 for violation of Section 4109.22 (F) involving hazardous work tasks.[2] There is no civil monetary penalty associated with other violations of minor work hours.
Ohio has under-invested in protecting workers against wage and hour violations by their employers. Only a handful of staffers at the Bureau of Wage and Hour Administration handle wage and hour violations for the state. The Bureau of Wage and Hour Administration operates on a complaint-based system. HB 150 would create a dedicated fund for minor labor law enforcement, including an additional full-time staffer.
House Bill 150 would protect Ohio’s children by instituting a monetary penalty for work hours violations and create a fund to ensure fines for minor labor violations are used to further support enforcement of the law – while maintaining youth’s ability to get valuable work experience. I urge you to vote this bill out of committee.
[1] U.S. Department of Labor. “Child Labor Enforcement: Keeping Young Workers Safe.” https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/child-labor/enforcement-keeping-young-workers-safe
[2] Section 4109.99 | Penalty. Ohio Revised Code. Effective October 17, 2019.