Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 19 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Ballard, Melissa G.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/25/2025

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• classifies child-labor related acts as different crimes;
• requires that the Labor Commission report a suspected criminal act to the State Bureau of Investigation under certain circumstances;
• permits the State Bureau of Investigation to investigate or forward a suspected criminal act to law enforcement or a state agency with jurisdiction over the reported criminal act;
• allows the commission to share information with law enforcement under certain circumstances; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

3
34-23-402
34-23-402
Child Labor Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Melissa G. Ballard
Senate Sponsor: Heidi Balderree
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends provisions relating to the employment of minors.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
classifies child-labor related acts as different crimes;
requires that the Labor Commission report a suspected criminal act to the State Bureau of 
Investigation under certain circumstances;
permits the State Bureau of Investigation to investigate or forward a suspected criminal 
act to law enforcement or a state agency with jurisdiction over the reported criminal act;
allows the commission to share information with law enforcement under certain 
circumstances; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
34-23-402
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 347
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
34-23-402
 is amended to read:
34-23-402. Violation -- Criminal penalty.
(1)
(a)
The commission may prosecute a misdemeanor criminal action in the name of the 
state. 
(b)
The county attorney, district attorney, or attorney general shall provide assistance in 
prosecutions under this section at the request of the commission.
(2)
It is a class B misdemeanor for a person
A person
, whether individually or as an 
officer, agent, or employee of any person, firm, or corporation
 to
, violates this section 
by
:
(a)
knowingly 
employ
employing
 a minor or 
permit
permitting
 a minor to work in a 
repeated violation of this chapter;
(b)
refuse
refusing
 or knowingly 
neglect
neglecting
 to furnish to the commission, any 
information requested by the commission under this chapter;
(c)
refuse
refusing
 access to that person's place of business or employment to the 
commission or 
its
the commission's
 authorized representative when access has been 
requested in conjunction with an investigation related to this section;
(d)
hinder
hindering
 the commission or 
its
the commission's
 authorized representative 
in the securing of any information authorized by this section;
(e)
refuse
refusing
 or knowingly 
omit
omitting
 or 
neglect
neglecting
 to keep any of 
the records required by this chapter;
(f)
knowingly 
make any
making a
 false statement, representation, or certification in any 
application, record, report, plan, or other document filed or required to be maintained 
under this chapter;
(g)
discharge
discharging
 an employee or 
threaten
threatening
 to or 
retaliate
retaliating
 against an employee because:
(i)
the employee has testified;
(ii)
is about to testify; or
(iii)
the employer believes that the employee may testify in 
any
an
 investigation or 
proceedings
proceeding
 relative to the enforcement of this chapter; 
and
or
(h)
willfully 
violate any
violating an
 order issued under this chapter.
(3)
(a)
 Except as provided in Subsection 
(3)(b)
 or (3)(c), a violation of Subsection 
(2)
is a class B misdemeanor.
(b)
A violation of Subsection 
(2)
 is a class A misdemeanor if the person has previously 
been convicted of a violation of Subsection (2).
(c)
A violation of Subsection 
(2)
 is a third degree felony if the person has previously 
been convicted of a violation of Subsection (2) two or more times.
(4)
(a)
If the commission has reasonable suspicion that a person under investigation for a 
violation of this section may have committed other criminal acts, the commission 
shall report the commission's observations to the State Bureau of Investigation.
(b)
The State Bureau of Investigation may:
(i)
investigate a reported violation described in Subsection 
(4)(a)
; or
(ii)
forward a reported violation described in Subsection 
(4)(a)
 to a law enforcement 
or a state agency with jurisdiction over the reported violation.
(c)
The commission shall share any information relating to an offense described in this 
section with law enforcement.
(3)
(5)
This section does not apply to 
violations
a violation
 of Section 
34-23-301
.
Section 2. 
Effective date.
This bill takes effect on 
May 7, 2025
.
2-24-25 9:06 AM