Defending farm families and rural communities throughout the 9^th District from unelected Washington bureaucrats, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) is continuing to call on the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to remove a proposed rule that could hamper young Missourians’ ability to consider agricultural related careers and farm families’ ability to employ youth to work in agriculture.

Luetkemeyer and congressional colleagues have long opposed efforts by Labor Secretary Hilda Solis to place more damaging burdens on farm families and rural Americans, and have been successful in getting the secretary to extend the comment period on the proposed rule. However, Luetkemeyer believes that the proposed DOL regulation should be scrapped entirely and is now pushing for that outcome. While there is an existing exemption in the proposed rule for children working on a family-owned or operated farm, Luetkemeyer and agriculture officials are concerned that the rule could ultimately affect the ability of farmers and ranchers to hire youth to work in agriculture.  

“This rule jeopardizes our nation’s agricultural heritage and hinders the ability of young Americans to gain valuable work experience.  As written, these regulations are overly burdensome to agriculture producers and would punish an industry that has made significant gains in the safety of its younger workers over the last several decades. The safety of all workers is of utmost importance, but these regulations are harmful to the way agriculture has been practiced in the United States for generations.” Luetkemeyer said.

On September 2, 2011, DOL indicated their desire to revise the Fair Labor Standards Act as it relates to young workers employed in agriculture. The proposed changes as they relate to youth employment in agriculture include:

• Strengthening current child labor prohibitions regarding agricultural work with animals in timber operations, manure pits, storage bins and pesticide handling.
• Prohibiting hired farm workers under the age of 16 from employment in the cultivation, harvesting and curing of tobacco.
• Prohibiting hired farm workers under the age of 16 from operating almost all power-driven equipment.
• Preventing children under 18 years of age from being employed in the storing, marketing and transporting of farm-product raw materials. Prohibited places of employment would include grain elevators, grain bins, silos, feed lots, stockyards, livestock exchanges and livestock auctions.

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