Labor Department Withdraws Child Agricultural Labor Proposal

In response to “thousands of comments expressing concerns about the effect
of the proposed rules on small family-owned farms,” the U.S. Department of
Labor (DOL) has withdrawn a proposal intended to reduce injuries among
children working on farms by, among other matters, prohibiting them from
using certain equipment. Instead, the Departments of Labor and Agriculture
“will work with rural stakeholders—such as the American Farm Bureau
Federation, the National Farmers Union, the Future Farmers of America, and
4-H—to develop an educational program to reduce accidents to young
workers and promote safer agricultural working practices.” Information about
the proposed rule and a proposed “parental exemption,” that did not apparently
satisfy critics, appears in Issue 425 of this Update. See DOL News Release,
April 26, 2012.