Memorandum
Date: March 16, 2021
To: The Honorable Bruno Sabatier, Chair, Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Jessica Pyska, District 5 Supervisor
Tina Scott, District 4 Supervisor
Subject: Approve Letter of Support to Senator McGuire for Senate Bill 685 - Employment of Minors in Agricultural Packing Plants.
Executive Summary: (include fiscal and staffing impact narrative):
Senator McGuire is pleased to have introduced SB 685, the renewal of SB 702, which permits the employment of Lake County 16 and 17 year olds in pear packing plants for 60-hours a week during harvest time when school is not in session. This exemption is set to sunset on January 1, 2022. SB 685 would simply extend the sunset date to January 1, 2032.
The exemption for minors working in agricultural packing plants in Lake County was originally enacted in 1996 to help labor shortages during August's pear picking season. The sunset has been extended 4 times with no opposition since its original creation. Existing law allows the Labor Commissioner, upon approval from the Lake County Board of Education, to permit agricultural packing plants to employ minors enrolled in Lake County schools when they are not in session.
This bill would extend the exemption for Lake County until January 2032 and maintain all the existing requirements from employers to receive the exemption. The exemption does not affect any California overtime laws. Additionally, SB 685 requires a report from the Labor Commissioner to be submitted to the legislature on the general working conditions of minors employed in agricultural packing plants by November 2030. SB 685 would continue the economic benefit this exemption provides to Lake County teens and families.
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