Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1996 3
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By: Representative Gramlich 5
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LABOR; TO AMEND 9
THE CHILD LABOR LAWS ENACTED BY INITIATED ACT 1 OF 10
1914; TO ESTABLISH AN EDUCATIONAL ALTERNATIVE TO 11
CIVIL PENALTIES FOR CERTAIN VIOLATIONS RELATED TO 12
CHILD LABOR; TO CREATE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS RELATED 13
TO CHILD LABOR REQUIREMENTS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 14
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Subtitle 17
TO AMEND THE CHILD LABOR LAWS ENACTED BY 18
INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1914; TO ESTABLISH AN 19
EDUCATIONAL ALTERNATIVE TO CIVIL 20
PENALTIES FOR CERTAIN VIOLATIONS; AND TO 21
CREATE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS RELATED TO 22
CHILD LABOR. 23
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 25
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SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative findings. 27
The General Assembly finds that: 28
(1) Part-time work by teenagers teaches important lessons in 29
personal finance, time management, and confidence and allows for important 30
networking and career exploration opportunities; 31
(2) However, the state has a responsibility to protect children 32
from hazardous work environments and ensure that employment opportunities do 33
not come at the expense of a teenager’s education; 34
(3) The Department of Labor and Licensing identified that, from 35
2020 to 2023, child labor violations increased by two hundred sixty -six 36 HB1996
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percent (266%) and financial penalties for child labor violations increased 1
by six hundred percent (600%) for the same time; 2
(4) When compared to surrounding states, Arkansas has some of 3
the highest numbers of child labor cases investigated and child labor 4
violations, as well as financial penalties assigned, according to data from 5
the United States Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division; and 6
(5) It is crucial for teenagers who are employed, as well as 7
employers and parents, to understand legal requirements and regulations as it 8
relates to allowable working hours and places of employment for children 9
under the age of sixteen (16). 10
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 11 -6-103(a)(1), concerning the civil penalty 12
related to child labor violations as enacted by Initiated Act 1 of 1914, is 13
amended to read as follows: 14
(a)(1)(A) Any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association, 15
parent, guardian, or custodian who employs or permits or suffers any child to 16
be employed or to work in violation of this subchapter or §§ 11 -12-101 — 11-17
12-105, or any rules issued thereunder, shall be subject to a civil penalty 18
of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) and not more than five thousand 19
dollars ($5,000) for each violation. 20
(B) A civil penalty under subdivision (a)(1)(A) of this 21
section may be waived for a first -time violation if the person, firm, 22
corporation, partnership, association, parent, guardian, or custodian subject 23
to the civil penalty completes an educational module developed by the 24
Department of Labor and Licensing under § 11 -6-117. 25
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SECTION 3. Arkansas Code Title 11, Chapter 6, Subchapter 1, is amended 27
to add additional sections to read as follows: 28
11-6-117. Educational module related to child labor. 29
(a) The Department of Labor and Licensing shall develop an educational 30
module that shall be provided to a person, a firm, a corporation, a 31
partnership, an association, a parent, a guardian, or a custodian subject to 32
a first-time civil penalty under §11 -6-103(a)(1)(B). 33
(b) The educational module under subsection (a) of this section shall 34
include: 35
(1) The requirements and prohibitions of the Fair Labor 36 HB1996
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Standards Act of 1938, 29 U.S.C. § 201, et seq., as it existed on January 1, 1
2025, specific to the employment of children under sixteen (16) years of age; 2
(2) Regulations under 29 C.F.R. Part 570, as it existed on 3
January 1, 2025, specific to the employment of children under sixteen (16) 4
years of age; and 5
(3) All state laws and rules governing the employment of 6
children under sixteen (16) years of age. 7
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11-6-118. Posting of educational signage. 9
(a) Each public school, open -enrollment public charter school, and 10
private school shall post in a conspicuous place near the entrance of the 11
establishment, or where posters and notices of this type customarily are 12
posted, a poster developed by the Department of Labor and Licensing in 13
collaboration with the Department of Education. 14
(b) The poster shall: 15
(1) Measure at least eight and one -half inches by eleven inches 16
(8 1/2" and 11") in size; 17
(2) Be in a youth-friendly format and utilize age -appropriate 18
language; 19
(3) Include the requirements and prohibitions of the Fair Labor 20
Standards Act of 1938, 29 U.S.C. § 201, et seq., as it existed on January 1, 21
2025, specific to the employment of children under the age of sixteen (16); 22
(4) Include regulations under 29 C.F.R. Part 570, as it existed 23
on January 1, 2025, specific to the employment of children under the age of 24
sixteen (16); and 25
(5) Provide information on all state laws and rules governing 26
the employment of children under the age of sixteen (16). 27
(c) The information required in subsection (b) of this section shall 28
be printed in English, Spanish, and any other language mandated by the Voting 29
Rights Act of 1965, 52 U.S.C. § 10503, as it existed on January 1, 2025, in 30
the county where the school is located. 31
(d) The poster required under this section shall be available on the 32
websites of the following: 33
(1) The Department of Labor and Licensing; and 34
(2) The Department of Education. 35
(e) To obtain a copy of the poster required under this section, the 36 HB1996
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administration of the public school, open -enrollment public charter school, 1
or private school shall: 2
(1) Print the poster from either of the websites listed under 3
subsection (c) of this section; or 4
(2) Request that the poster be mailed by the Department of Labor 5
and Licensing or the Department of Education for the cost of printing and 6
first-class postage. 7
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