For some teenagers across the country, the summer is the first opportunity to gain work experience for their nascent resume. 

In a handful of states, however, teens who find jobs will find fewer protections under child labor laws. Four states — Indiana, Nebraska, Washington and West Virginia — enacted laws this year that weaken child labor protections, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank. In all, 13 states had bills seeking to weaken those protections; some are still under consideration.

Another three states saw bills filed this year to increase child labor standards, with one state — Oregon — enacting a new law. Oregon now stipulates that state rules on the total hours a minor can work cannot be less restrictive than the federal Fair Labor Standards Act rules that were in effect on Jan. 1. 

Among the states easing child labor laws this year, Nebraska established a lower minimum wage for 14- and 15-year-olds.  West Virginia made changes that allow teens to work longer hours in youth apprenticeships and relaxed rules related to time working on hazardous work assignments. 

Under a new Indiana law, the state’s Department of Labor will no longer be required to maintain the employer database for youth employment or require employers to participate in the database, meaning employers are not required to report that they employ workers younger than 18. 

Washington state lawmakers made it easier for teens in approved work-based learning programs to work longer hours, doubling the daily limit from four hours a day for up to 20 hours a week, to eight hours a day for up to 48 hours a week for minors enrolled in those programs. West Virginia’s law also loosened guardrails for minors in youth apprenticeship programs and lowered the age for workers to sell alcohol in bars. 

The Economic Policy Institute’s review, published this month, found that legislation seeking to roll back child labor protections follows four trends: lowering minimum wages for teen workers; making changes to youth apprenticeships, eliminating youth permits and weakening safeguards for teen child care workers.

A few other rollbacks remain pending in Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Bills in Florida, Massachusetts and Missouri proposed lowering youth wages but did not pass.

Stateline reporter Robbie Sequeira can be reached at rsequeira@stateline.org.