11.20.19

Scott Statement on Department of Labor Abandoning Proposed Changes to Child Labor Laws

WASHINGTON – Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor abandoned its proposed rule to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to operate patient lifts in health care settings.

“The Department of Labor’s decision to abandon its rollback of child labor protections is a victory for the safety of workers and patients. This proposal ignored expert warnings about the danger of allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to use patient lifts without supervision. Instead, the Department’s rule relied on flawed, unscientific Survey Monkey data—which the Department declined to make public despite congressional requests.  

“The Department’s decision to abandon this rule is a positive step forward. In the future, I hope the Department will continue to rely on evidence and research when developing policies that affect the lives of workers across the country.”

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