Child labor bills set for first state Senate committee hearing
Child labor bills set for first state Senate committee hearing Michigan Public
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Michigan Senate Labor Committee Considers Bill Package to Enhance Child Labor Oversight
A bill package is set to be heard on Tuesday by the Michigan Senate Labor Committee, aiming to establish stronger oversight of child labor within the state.
Creating a State Registry for Child Workers
The proposed bills seek to establish a centralized state registry for children involved in the workforce, eliminating the reliance on individual school districts to maintain records.
Strengthening Penalties for Unsafe Working Conditions
In addition, the bill package aims to toughen penalties for employers who subject children to hazardous work environments.
These proposed changes come in response to a New York Times investigation that exposed severe cases of child labor in West Michigan.
Similar bills have previously been introduced in the Michigan House, with one bill seeking to strengthen the state’s child labor laws and another aiming to establish a centralized monitoring system for child workers. However, these bills have yet to progress significantly.
Opponents of these efforts argue that they may unnecessarily complicate the child work permitting process.
The hearing for the Senate version of these bills is scheduled for Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.
SDGs, Targets and Indicators
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SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.
- Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group.
The article addresses the issue of child labor and the need for more oversight and regulation to protect children from working in unsafe conditions. This aligns with SDG 8, which focuses on promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment, and decent work for all. Specifically, the article highlights the need to eradicate the worst forms of child labor, which is a target under SDG 8.7.
The article mentions that the bill package would create a centralized state registry of children in the workforce and toughen penalties for having kids work in unsafe conditions. These measures aim to address the target of eradicating the worst forms of child labor by improving monitoring and enforcement.
Although the article does not explicitly mention the indicator 8.7.1, it implies the need for data on the proportion and number of children engaged in child labor. The creation of a centralized state registry would likely contribute to collecting such data, which can be used to measure progress towards the target of eradicating child labor.
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor. | Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group. |
Source: michiganpublic.org
