State Rep. Don Moul, R-Gettysburg, is pictured at a news conference in June in Harrisburg.

A state lawmaker wants to put an end to a work permit requirement for underage youth to get a job.

Rep. Dan Moul, R-Gettysburg, recently introduced House Bill 1726 in the state House of Representatives to remove the work permit requirements from the state’s Child Labor Act. The bill has received support from several Republican House members, but no Democrats.

“Work permits, while originally intended to safeguard young employees, often serve as an outdated formality rather than a meaningful protective measure,” Moul wrote in his co-sponsorship memorandum. “Currently, a minor seeking employment must receive a work permit which must be approved by the minor’s school district. Rather than a school having the final say in a minor’s ability to acquire employment, parents should have the responsibility to provide approval for their child.”

Instead of a work permit, Moul proposes requiring a written statement from the youth’s parents or legal guardians acknowledging they understand the duties and hours of employment and granting permission for the minor to work. Moul said removing work permit requirements will make it easier for youth who want to work to get a job, streamline the hiring process and keep relevant labor laws governing hazardous work and working hours intact.

“By modernizing the system and shifting responsibility to employers and parents to verify compliance, young workers can more easily secure jobs that provide valuable skills, financial independence, and pathways to future careers,” Moul wrote.

Currently, 35 states and Washington, D.C., require youth work permits. The only states that don’t require the permits are Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Utah, Arizona, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas and Florida. Alabama removed its work requirements in 2024, though that bill still requires employers to obtain certifications from the state before hiring children between the ages of 14 and 17 as well as being required to notify schools that a child is employed. The West Virginia state Senate approved a similar bill that eliminates work requirements for 14- and 15-year-olds, though employees would need written consent from a child’s parent or guardian as well as getting an age certificate from the state labor commissioner. Employers would also have to spell out hours the minor would be working.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed legislation in 2024 that would have eliminated the requirement for work permits for 14- and 15-year-old teens who take a job. In his veto message, Evers said he opposed “eliminating a process that ensures our kids are protected from employers that may exploit youth and inexperience or subject children to hazardous or illegal working conditions.” Wisconsin had earlier eliminated work permits for 16- and 17-year-olds during Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s term.

Since 2023, eight states have proposed eliminating youth work permits, and three have signed these measures into law, according to a report released earlier this year by the Economic Policy Institute, which advocated against removal of work permit requirements. The 1938 federal Fair Labor Standards Act governs work hours for minors under age 16 and outlines prohibitively hazardous occupations for minors under age 18, but other safeguards aren’t included in federal law and are left up to the states to decide.