A 5547 New Jersey General Assembly · 2024-2025 Regular Session

Extends hours that minor employed by national sports association, league, or team may work under certain circumstances.**

This bill amends New Jersey's child labor law to allow minors aged 14-15 employed by national sports associations, leagues, or teams to work beyond 11:30 p.m. under specific conditions. It permits extended hours only if the work continues a prior workday that began before 11:30 p.m., such as during travel after a game or due to a match delay. A special written permit from the minor's parent or guardian, specifying approved hours, is required. The change directly affects young athletes in professional sports organizations who face scheduling constraints related to games or travel. This update modifies existing provisions that previously restricted such minors to work until 11:30 p.m.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Apr 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Apr 10, 2025 Last action Dec 8, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Reprint ALA 6/16/25 1R → Reprint Assembly 12/8/25 2R · 1 edit

MINOR

The Second Reprint removed the entire subsection 1d that would have allowed the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to establish a process for minors to apply for waivers from evening time limits due to exigent or extraordinary circumstances. The remaining provisions (extending hours for minor professional athletes employed by national sports associations, leagues, or teams until 11:30 p.m.) are unchanged. All other differences in the diff are formatting and line-break changes with no substantive effect.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed by removing the DOLWD waiver mechanism for evening time limits. The bill now only extends hours specifically for minors employed as professional athletes by national sports associations, leagues, or teams, without a general waiver process for other circumstances.

SCOPE

Subsection 1d was deleted in its entirety. This provision would have authorized the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to create a waiver process allowing minors to exceed evening time limits when exigent or extraordinary circumstances apply, with factors including number of days over the limit, nature of work, time of year, impact on the minor's academic and physical well-being, and any other relevant factor.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Dec 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

Assembly Floor Amendment Passed (Verrelli)

lower

Jun 16, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading

lower

Apr 10, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Labor Committee

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors