After growing concern by politicians and lobbying groups, the Department of Labor announced Thursday that it is withdrawing a rule change dealing with children who work in agricultural vocations.
Before the rule change, which would have dealt with children under 16 working in agriculture, Iowa Congressmen Tom Latham had drafted bi-partisan legislation to block the rule change.
On Thursday, Latham told the Times-Union in a phone interview that the rule change was “indicative of a federal government trying to overreach and people are skeptical of the federal government.”
Latham said the rule change would greatly harm how family farms were run and could also hurt organizations like Future Farmers of America.
“This administration has no respect for what free enterprise is,” said Latham.
A spokesperson with the Department of Labor said the issue had been clouded with misperception and was being politicized.
The spokesperson told the Times-Union the point of the rule change was to improve safety and reduce accidents and deaths.
“The parental exemption doesn’t change,” said the Department of Labor representative. “Any child, at any age, no matter how hazardous the job can work on their parents’ farm. The Department of Labor can’t change laws mandated by congress.”
But several hours after the Department of Labor spoke with the Times-Union, this statement was released:
“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 (Thursday) 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.”
The Department of Labor spokesperson said the proposed rule change received more than 10,000 comments, which is rare in such rule changes.
Follow staff writer Daniel Riordan on Twitter at @TUNews_Riordan
