Governor signs Peters’ child labor law overhaul

SPRINGFIELD - For the first time in nearly 75 years, Illinois will see strengthened protections for youth in the workforce thanks to State Senator Robert Peters.

"Young people in the current workforce encounter challenges unique to their generation," said Peters (D-Chicago). "These updates to our child labor laws are needed to safeguard their rights and well-being, ensuring our youngest residents have a healthy balance between their work responsibilities, schooling, extracurricular activities and personal lives."

With support from the AFL-CIO and the Illinois Department of Labor, Peters spearheaded the overhaul of the Illinois Child Labor Law to provide more protections for youth in the workforce by addressing working conditions, age requirements and sectors prone to exploitation.

The new law extends protections to kids not enrolled in a traditional public or private school, requiring they end work by 7 p.m. on school nights. It also adds new positions to the list of prohibited jobs for minors and jobs requiring adult supervision, such as in cannabis shops and adult facilities, and imposes increased penalties for violations.

The law further addresses children who work as influencers online, specifically in vlogs, requiring any child under 16 who appears in online vlogs to be compensated based on the number of views a video receives and how many minutes they appear in the video.

"I am proud to work alongside the Illinois DOL and AFL-CIO to keep young people in the workforce safe and fairly compensated," said Peters. "This legislation will help protect youth across a broader range of work environments, allowing them the opportunity to continue to learn and grow while contributing positively to the economy without fear of harm."

Acknowledging that not all students have permanent addresses or access to their birth certificate, the law updates the school-issued work certification procedure to allow minors without birth certificates or home addresses to receive work permits from their respective school officer.

"As neighboring states are rolling back their child labor protections, the Illinois AFL-CIO is committed to making Illinois the gold standard when it comes to protecting our children in the workplace," said Frances Orenic, Illinois AFL-CIO legislative director. "Illinois remains a pro-labor bastion that protects all workers, including future generations."

Senate Bill 3646 was signed into law on Tuesday and goes into effect Jan. 1. The kid influencer updates took effect on July 1.