The deadline draws near to raise concerns over the U.S Department of Labor’s proposed changes to “youth labor” rules. Comments are due Dec. 1.

At face value, it looks like if you have a family farm, you’ll be exempt. However, if the family farm is incorporated, you’re not exempt if someone other than the child’s parents own stock. Our concern is that these rule changes will reach further than we might even know. The proposed regulations also don’t take into account the many faces of modern family farms. Not everyone fits the government’s traditional definition of family farms; today’s family farming operations might be grandparents and grandchildren or uncle and aunts, nieces and nephews.

We hope you – as well as your family members and friends – will contact the Department of Labor and let them know how detrimental these changes would be to your family. To submit comments, click here and reference RIN 1235-AA06.

Click here to hear more.

For additional background information on the proposed rule changes, see these blog posts:

1. Comment by Dec. 1 on how proposed changes to “child labor” regulations would impact your farm: http://bit.ly/ueDC92
2. Farm cores help build character & work ethic. If you agree, please contact the Department of Labor by Dec 1: http://bit.ly/uCEp0X
3. FFA & 4-H projects could be affected by proposed “child labor” rules: http://bit.ly/uCEp0X
4. Child labor? Oh, please! Every day is “bring your child to work day” on the farm.” http://bit.ly/rWd2My
5. Teen Farm Labor is Vital in Rural Areas: http://bit.ly/t5j65s
6. Proposed “child labor” rules include gray areas. Help common sense (aka “grey matter”) prevail. Take a look: http://bit.ly/tU2qMw