Bill Allowing Teens 36-Hour Work Week Gets Laid Off In Senate Sponsor Says Milder Version Probably Will Be Tried Next Session

A bill that would have allowed older teenagers to work nearly full time has died in the Senate, but its sponsor says a milder version probably will be back next session.

House Bill 1911 would have allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to work up to 36 hours a week when school is in session, eight hours more than now allowed.

For those under 16, now restricted to 16 hours a week during the school year, it would have allowed an 18-hour workweek.

“We had votes to get it out of the Senate,” said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Brad Benson, R-Spokane. “But the governor was going to veto it anyway.”

Gov. Gary Locke’s office has said the measure did not fit into Locke’s goal of putting education first.

Opposition to the bill was widespread, said Rick Bender, president of the Washington State Labor Council. Opponents included public school officials, children’s advocacy groups and the PTA. Supporters included the Washington State Restaurant Association and the Association of Washington Businesses.

The bill tried to liberalize teen work rules that have been under fire by employers ever since they were issued in 1993 by the state Department of Labor and Industries.

It passed the House last month on a 55-39 vote, but failed to make it out of the Senate’s Rules Committee before a bill deadline last week.

Benson, who worked odd jobs to help his family while growing up in a single-parent home, said he wants “to make it so it’s reasonable for teens to work again.”

Next year, he said, he expects to back a measure to allow a 30-hour workweek, with teens able to work six hours a day instead of the four hours now allowed.

“We will probably be backing off from 36 hours a week,” Benson said.

He also wants to exempt teens who work fewer than 20 hours a week from a requirement that they get a state work permit and have it signed by a school official. Teens still would have to have the permit signed by a parent.

Some House Democrats say they might be able to support a different version of the bill.

“To look at some flexibility makes sense,” said Rep. Dave Quall, D-Mount Vernon. He said the biggest mistake in the past was making the debate a partisan issue.

Quall didn’t support the bill this year.

“Why throw my support behind a dead issue?” he asked, adding that the Republicans waited until the last minute to try to negotiate a compromise with the governor. He said he would be willing to consider co-sponsoring the type of bill Benson is now talking about.

Current law limits 16- and 17-year-olds to a 20-hour workweek during the school year, and no more than four hours a day. They can work up to 28 hours a week if they get permission from their school and a parent.

The bill would have allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to work six hours a day during school weeks but no more than 20 hours a week. If a teen received permission from all his or her teachers, the workweek could have been extended to eight hours on school days and up to 36 hours a week.