BILL NUMBER:  S6652

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the labor law, in relation to permitting the
employment of minors as referees, umpires or officials at youth
sporting events


 PURPOSE :
This bill amends the labor law to include an exception to allow a
minor twelve or thirteen years of age as a referee, umpire or official
at a youth sporting event when attendance upon instruction is not
required by educational law, and allows youth ages fourteen through
seventeen to be employed as a referee umpire or official; without
certificate of employment or permit, in order to allow more young
people to get paid to perform this work, as many leagues are trying to
cope with a significant shortage of youth referees.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
Section 1 adds a new paragraph to Subdivision 2 of section 130 of the
labor law to include an exception to allow a minor twelve or thirteen
years of age as a referee, umpire or official at a youth sporting
event when attendance upon instruction is not required by the
education law. Likewise Section 2 amends paragraph a of subdivision 3
of section 131 of the labor law adding an exception to work without a
certificate or permit for fourteen and fifteen year olds, and Section
              

3 adds a similar exception for sixteen and seventeen year olds,
amending subdivision 3 of section 132 of the labor law, allowing them
to work without an employment certificate or permit. Section 4 amends
subdivision 4 of section 142 of the labor law to add an exemption from
the statute for fourteen and fifteen year olds employed as a referee,
umpire or official at a youth sporting event. Furthermore, Section 5
amends subdivision 4 of section 143 of the labor law to include an
exemption from statute application for sixteen and seventeen year olds
who are working as a referee, umpire or official at a youth sporting
event.

 JUSTIFICATION :
The labor laws of New York state that no minor under the age of
fourteen shall be employed in or in connection with any trade,
business or service. Since its inception, however, numerous exceptions
have been created to this to allow a minor of a specified age to be
able to work before the age of fourteen. Exceptions have been allowed
for a child performer and a model to be allotted work under the age of
fourteen. Furthermore, exceptions have been added for a minor twelve
to thirteen to be permitted to work on a family farm, family market
stand, or as a bridge caddie, as well as even adding an exception for
a minor eleven years of age to be permitted to be a newspaper carrier.
All of these exceptions are allotted as long as they comply with
either the arts and cultural affairs law or the education law work
requirements for minors.

When exceptions have allowed children under the age of fourteen to be
permitted to work in a certain field, the amendment has also provided
provisions allowing youth ages fourteen through seventeen to be
employed in that same field without certificate of employment or
permit.  Similar to that of the exclusion for a bridge caddie, this
exception allowing twelve and thirteen year olds to be employed as a
referee, umpire or official at a youth sporting event, accompany
provisions allowing those ages fourteen through seventeen to do so
without an employment certificate or permit.

Currently, many youth sport leagues are experiencing shortages in
referees or umpires. For example, many youth hockey leagues are trying
to cope with a significant shortage of youth referees. This
legislation would allow more young people to enjoy earning money.
 BILL HISTORY :
None.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This bill shall take effect immediately.