Employment of minors: agricultural packing plants.

Existing law prescribes limits on the hours of employment of minors but authorizes the Labor Commissioner to issue an exemption to employers operating agricultural packing plants for the employment of minors 16 and 17 years of age for up to 10 hours on days when school is not in session, during the peak harvest season. Under existing law, the Labor Commissioner may, under the above-described exemption, authorize the employment of minors 16 or 17 years of age who reside in the County of Lake, and only on days when school is not in session, for up to 10 hours a day, as well as for more than 48 hours but not more than 60 hours in a week, upon prior written approval of the Lake County Office of Education. Existing law also requires the Labor Commissioner, before issuing or renewing a Lake County exemption, to inspect an affected agricultural packing plant and requires the Labor Commissioner to file a written report with the Legislature on or before November 1, 2016, pertaining to the working conditions of minors employed in the agricultural packing industry, as specified. Existing law also requires an affected employer, as a condition of receiving that exemption or renewal of that exemption, to file a written report to the Labor Commissioner, as provided. Under existing law, the provisions pertaining to Lake County expire on January 1, 2017. This bill would apply statewide provisions like those relating to Lake County and would require the Labor Commissioner to report to the Legislature on or before November 1, 2025. These provisions would be repealed on January 1, 2027.