Florida Farm Bureau responds to DOL, youth labor

(Gainesville, Florida)  Last September, the U.S. Department of Labor proposed regulations regarding child labor safety rules for agriculture and agriculture-related jobs.  By Thursday evening, the DOL changed its mind.

“I am pleased the Labor Department chose to withdraw their proposed rules that would have drastically impacted the ability of many young people to work in agriculture,” Florida Farm Bureau president John Hoblick expressed.  “I appreciate the willingness of the administration to listen to the hundreds of Florida Farm Bureau members who expressed their concern with this proposal.”

The proposed rules would have limited the ability of children to perform common farm jobs such as working around animals, working with power driven tools such as battery powered screwdrivers or weed eaters, or working at any height over six feet.

“My experiences as a young man working on my family’s farm taught me many valuable lessons,” Hoblick continued.  “I am glad that many young people in this generation will have the same opportunity I had. Florida Farm Bureau will continue to work to ensure that parental exemptions remain intact as well as promote the importance of farm safety in all aspects of farm life.”

In withdrawing their rule, DOL issued a statement saying, "The decision to withdraw this rule – including provisions to define the 'parental exemption' – was made in response to thousands of comments expressing concerns about the effect of the proposed rules on small family-owned farms.”

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Florida Farm Bureau is the state's largest general agricultural organization with more than 143,000 members
in 60 counties.  Membership provides a multitude of benefits and you don't have to be a farmer
to be a member of Florida Farm Bureau.