U.S. Department of Labor Withdraws Child Labor Rule

Agriculture Industry Applauds Decision

There has been some recent good news for agriculture! The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced the withdrawal of a proposed rule dealing with children who work in agricultural vocations, which would have banned children under the age of 16 from doing work on their family’s farm or agribusiness.

It is with little surprise that floods of agricultural organizations and associations across the country are praising this withdrawal. Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David Daniels shared his praises through the following statement that was issued last week.

“I applaud the decision of the U.S. Department of Labor to withdraw their short-sighted rule banning children under the age of 16 from doing work on their family’s farm. Farming is, in many cases, a family affair. Had this rule been passed our young people would miss out on the opportunity to gain the compassion and unparalleled work ethic that comes from caring for livestock and harvesting crops. More importantly, these kids get the opportunity to grow up learning about their family’s business. Withdrawing the rule and working to educate youngsters about farm safety is the right call.”

The full DOL statement that was issued late last week is provided below.

"The Obama administration is firmly committed to promoting family farmers and respecting the rural way of life, especially the role that parents and other family members play in passing those traditions down through the generations. The Obama administration is also deeply committed to listening and responding to what Americans across the country have to say about proposed rules and regulations.

As a result, the Department of Labor is announcing today the withdrawal of the proposed rule dealing with children under the age of 16 who work in agricultural vocations.

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. To be clear, this regulation will not be pursued for the duration of the Obama administration.

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."