Child Labor Protection Moderated in Arkansas Allowing Under 16 to Work Without Certificate

Governor Huckabee Sanders signed a law that moderated the child labor protection in Arkansas. The law now allowed children under 16 to work without a work certificate.

Moderating Child Labor Protection [Photo: Lifestyle – HowStuffWorks]

The state of Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has signed a bill into law this week. The law reportedly moderated the child labor protection by abolishing the requirement to obtain work certificates for children who want to work under the age of 16. Originally, these children still need to validate their age and obtain a written consent from their parent or guardian before a work certificate will be issued by the Division of Labor in Arkansas.

According to Carney, however, the House Bill 1410, also known as the Youth Hiring Act of 2023, was passed in the state legislature earlier this march. This means that the child labor protection is moderated and children under the age of 16 are no longer required to obtain a work certificate to be employed.

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Advocates of Moderating the Child Labor Protection

According to Kashiwagi, Huckabee Sanders still believes that child labor protection is very important. However, the authorization provided by the Youth Hiring Act of 2023 is a relief to parents who still need to get permission from the state government for their children to be employed.

Nonetheless, all businesses are still expected to comply with the initial child labor laws that actually protect the children. In addition, advocates of the legislation agreed that abolishing the work certificate requirement would also eliminate the arduous steps that hinder the children under the age of 16 from being employed in the state.

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