Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday signed into law a measure that updates Illinois’ child labor regulations by setting additional standards for working conditions for children 15 or younger and updating a list of jobs that minors cannot hold.
The changes come as President Joe Biden’s administration and some states in recent years have moved to strengthen enforcement of child labor laws while other states — including neighboring Iowa — have sought to weaken their laws.
Pritzker said in a statement that Illinois is “modernizing” its “regulatory framework to further protect minors from unscrupulous employers. Minors should be able to experience safe, age-appropriate work in an educational setting.”
In April, state Sen. Robert Peters, a Chicago Democrat and his chamber’s main sponsor of the bill, said in an interview that Illinois lawmakers were inspired to act by the actions of states that were weakening child labor laws as the workforce was struggling to come back following the pandemic.
“Illinois being a state that has had workers’ rights front of mind for years now, I said, ‘We are in the perfect position to actually go in the other direction, and literally strengthen our child labor laws, modernize our child labor laws, and truly protect children so they can be children,’” said Peters, who chairs the Senate’s Labor Committee.
The state’s child labor regulations have long required school officials to review a minor’s work opportunity and, with the permission of a parent or guardian, issue an employment certificate to the minor before they can lawfully work, according to the governor’s office.
The new law prohibits minors from working more than 18 hours per school week and over 40 hours during weeks when school is out. Previously, the standards were 24 hours during school weeks and 48 hours when school was out. The updated list of prohibited workplaces includes cannabis dispensaries, live adult entertainment businesses, gambling establishments and gun ranges.
The law also updates penalties for violations of the law and clarifies reporting requirements if a child worker is injured or killed on the job. If a child dies on the job, their employer can be fined up to $60,000 if they’re found to have violated the new law. In cases where a child is injured, the fine can reach $30,000.
Part of the law went into effect on Tuesday with Pritzker’s signature, while other parts are effective on Jan. 1.