Jan 16, 2012

Growing discontent

Proposed revisions to federal child-labor regulations are intended to add a layer of safety to farming, one of the country’s most hazardous occupations. But critics argue that such restrictions would in fact wound the spirit of the next generation of farmers.

Since the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed rules were released in the first week of September, vigorous assessments from the nation’s farm bureaus, child-welfare advocates, lawmakers and farmers themselves stretched on for weeks. The initial public comment period was extended for a month to Dec. 1 in part because of the volume of comments – roughly 18,000 – the agency’s Wage and Hour Division received.

Ensuring the welfare of children "is a priority of the department, and this proposal is another element of our comprehensive approach," U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said in a news release at the time of the announcement. The Roanoke Times

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