The legislation, House Bill 1644, comes as some other states, mostly Republican-led ones, have rolled back labor protections for young workers. The bill would set minimum penalties for youth labor violations, prohibit companies with multiple serious safety violations from hiring minors and require inspections before authorizing certain minor work permits.
This story is part of Cascade PBS’s WA Workplace Watch, an investigative project covering worker safety and labor in Washington state.
According to data from the state Department of Labor & Industries, workers’ compensation injury claims from minors jumped 60% between 2009 and 2023. In that same time period, employment among 16-19-year-olds grew 38%, Bureau of Labor Statistics
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