Kuhnen

The Michigan House Committee on Economic Competitiveness recently reported out House Bill (HB) 5727, which seeks to eliminate a youth work permit system set to be implemented later this year by the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO). The Michigan League for Public Policy has shared deep concerns about the bill, as it would roll back critically important protections for young workers in Michigan at a time when the U.S. is already facing a national child labor crisis.

Centralized under LEO, the state’s system will ensure Michigan employers know and follow the law, protect children from work environments where they are being exploited and help with enforcement when violations of the state’s Youth Employment Standards Act (YESA) happen. However, HB 5727 seeks to replace this state-run system with a weaker age verification system that would essentially be up to employers to implement and would do next to nothing to ensure child workers are protected beyond ensuring they are old enough to work.

Eliminating Michigan’s youth work permit system is not in the best interest of our state’s youth and it flies in the face of logic when our country is already facing increases in federal child labor violations, with the number of violations uncovered during fiscal year 2024-2025 surging to levels not seen since the Great Recession. Research has shown states with work permit requirements see 17% fewer child labor violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and 43% fewer children involved in those violations.

HB 5727 would also be a detriment to employers who want to follow the law, as centralized work permit systems allow states to more proactively inform employers of the rules they need to follow when hiring workers under the age of 18.

Additionally, it’s important to note that LEO would be unable to revoke a work permit if a child is not in good standing in school due to a job under HB 5727, thus weakening a school’s capacity to deal with issues like chronic absenteeism, failing grades and disciplinary issues. This is especially relevant as Michigan has, once again, been ranked nationally in the bottom 10 states in education at 42nd in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, which was released just last week.

The latest national KIDS COUNT data also shows that 17% of Michigan high school students did not graduate on time in 2024, which is an improvement over 2019 but remains worse than the national average. Looking more locally, the percentage of high school students who did not graduate on time in 2024 in Alpena, Alcona, Montmorency and Presque Isle counties was 28%, 8%, 16% and 13% respectively. Students who do not graduate on time are less likely to continue on to postsecondary education and training, which can stymie their career growth and earning potential later on down the road.

And, when child labor is not well regulated, it’s not just school performance that can suffer. Excessive and late-night work hours, for example, can put youth mental and physical health at risk, as it often leads to diminished sleep and increased chances for injuries in the workplace. Teens need more sleep than adults — an average of eight to 10 hours a night — but on the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, over 80% of Michigan high school students reported getting fewer than eight hours a night. If we value providing young people with early work experiences that protect their physical and mental well-being, then we need to allow LEO oversight of the state’s work permit system.

Michigan is one of 35 states with a youth work permit system, and the Legislature made strides in 2024 when it centralized work permits with LEO. But now, with HB 5727, Michigan is one of at least 13 states that have introduced legislation that weakens child labor protections so far this year. Four of those states have already enacted their legislation and Michigan should not join those ranks.

Michigan children and families deserve better than HB 5727. They deserve commonsense policies that support quality jobs and education. It is our hope that the state’s youth work permit system is implemented this fall as originally planned for the sake of our state’s youngest workers as well as those who employ them.