BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                     SB 702  


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          Date of Hearing:  August 10, 2016


                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS


                               Lorena Gonzalez, Chair


          SB 702  
          (McGuire) - As Amended August 3, 2016


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          Urgency:  No  State Mandated Local Program:  NoReimbursable:  No


          SUMMARY:


          This bill extends the sunset date by five years on an exemption  
          from child labor laws that allows minors to work additional  
          hours in agricultural packing plants during peak harvest season  
          in Lake County.  Specifically, this bill:  


          1)Extends an exemption for specified agricultural packing plants  
            in Lake County to employ minors that are 16 or 17 years of age  
            to work for up to 10 hours per day, and more than 48 hours  
            (but not more than 60 hours) per week, during harvest season  
            when school is not in session to January 1, 2022.









                                                                     SB 702  


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          2)Requires the Labor Commissioner (LC), on or before November 1,  
            2020, to issue a written report to the Legislature on the  
            general working conditions of minors employed in the  
            agricultural packing industry from October 1, 2016 to October  
            1, 2020.


          FISCAL EFFECT:


          Minor/absorbable costs to the Department of Industrial Relations  
          to implement the reporting requirements of this bill. Prior  
          legislation to extend the sunset date on this exemption has  
          required the Labor Commissioner to issue a similar report on the  
          general working conditions of minors employed in the  
          agricultural packing industry.  


          COMMENTS:


          1)Background. California's child labor laws generally prohibit  
            any employer from employing a minor 16 or 17 years of age for  
            more than 8 hours in one day or more than 48 hours in one  
            week.  However, for the past two decades California law has  
            contained a special exemption for agricultural packing plants  
            in Lake County.  The exemption for minors working in  
            agricultural packing plants in Lake County was originally  
            enacted in 1996.


          2)Purpose. Supporters of this bill state this sunset extension  
            is necessary to allow the agricultural industry in Lake County  
            to address labor shortage during harvest time each year in  
            August.  The pear-packing season lasts only four to six weeks  
            and coincides with an increase in tourism, which is considered  
            the other large industry in Lake County.  With both tourism  
            and agriculture at peak activity, supporters state the  








                                                                     SB 702  


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            available labor pool is severely limited. They state that the  
            packing work exemption for minors in Lake County has mitigated  
            this shortage and provided significant economic benefits to  
            teens and families.  There is no registered opposition to this  
            bill.


          Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916) 319-2081