H-0660.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 1232
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State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1993 Regular Session
By Representatives Foreman, Mielke, Tate, Ballard, Padden, Horn, Sheahan, Chandler, Reams, R. Meyers, Morton, Lisk, Silver, Cooke, Fuhrman, Thomas, Talcott, Schoesler, Brumsickle, Long, Sehlin, Ballasiotes, Dyer, Wood, Vance and Edmondson
Read first time 01/20/93. Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.
AN ACT Relating to employment of minors; adding new sections to chapter 42.12 RCW; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 42.12 RCW to read as follows:
The legislature finds that parents are the primary caretakers of their minor children, and that they are best able to determine what is in the best interest of their children, including what hours of labor are fit and proper for them considering the age, health, abilities, educational requirements, and other circumstances uniquely appropriate to each individual child.
The legislature also finds that the state must give great deference to the judgments of parents regarding the hours their minor children may work and that unnecessary intrusions in family decisions and unreasonable restraints on the hours minor children may work unduly interfere with personal and private affairs and with the ability of young people to learn a trade and earn adequate incomes.
The legislature also finds that the requirements in section 2 of this act relating to the hours of minor labor reasonably and sufficiently protect the health, safety, and welfare of employed minors.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 42.12 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Minors under age sixteen may not be employed during school hours, except by special permission from school officials as outlined in RCW 28A.225.010 and 28A.225.080, nor before seven a.m. nor after seven p.m. during the school year, nor after nine p.m. during the summer vacation season.
(2) Minors under age sixteen may not be employed more than three hours per day on school days, nor more than eighteen hours per week during school weeks.
(3) A minor may not be employed more than eight hours per day nor more than five days in any one week. Minors employed past eight p.m. in service occupations must be supervised by a responsible adult who is required to be on the premises.
(4) A minor may not be employed on consecutive nights, both of which precede a school day, unless working no later than nine p.m.
(5) A minor may not be employed more than five hours without a meal period of at least thirty minutes.
(6) A minor employee shall be given a rest period of at least ten minutes in every four-hour period of employment, except as otherwise provided by law.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, morals, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.
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