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Child labor bills set for first committee hearing

State Capitol Building
State of Michigan
/
michigan.gov
State Capitol Building

Michigan legislation to increase state oversight of children in the workforce is receiving a committee hearing Tuesday

The bills would create a method for the state to track children who work and the businesses that employ them.

That’s opposed to the current system where schools keep track of work permits.

Supporters of tightening child labor laws say that decentralized way of running things helped let companies get away with having kids work in unsafe conditions.

A New York Times article last year noted some extreme cases in west Michigan.

A separate bill package to update laws around youth employment is before a state House committee.

Opponents to that legislation are worried it could overcomplicate the child work permit process.

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