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News releases, reports, statements and associated documents covering state government, cities and counties.
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Securing North Carolina's Future: N.C. Gov. Cooper Presents Budget That Raises Teacher Pay, Secures Child Care, Instead of More Taxpayer-Funded Private School Vouchers
RALEIGH, North Carolina, April 25 -- Gov. Roy Cooper, D-North Carolina, issued the following news release on April 24, 2024:
Today, Governor Roy Cooper released his recommended budget for FY 2024-2025, Securing North Carolina's Future. The Governor's plan would raise teacher pay by 8.5% and invest over $1 billion in public schools across North Carolina instead of more taxpayer-funded private school vouchers. The Governor's budget builds on the state's success as the top state to do business in the country for two years in a row and responsibly invests North Carolina's strong surplus to provide
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RALEIGH, North Carolina, April 25 -- Gov. Roy Cooper, D-North Carolina, issued the following news release on April 24, 2024:
Today, Governor Roy Cooper released his recommended budget for FY 2024-2025, Securing North Carolina's Future. The Governor's plan would raise teacher pay by 8.5% and invest over $1 billion in public schools across North Carolina instead of more taxpayer-funded private school vouchers. The Governor's budget builds on the state's success as the top state to do business in the country for two years in a row and responsibly invests North Carolina's strong surplus to providetax relief to small businesses and working families coupled with investments that benefit everyday people, including quality child care, job training, and clean drinking water.
The budget includes an average 8.5% teacher raise plus a $1,500 retention bonus for most teachers, a $745 million investment to strengthen child care and early education for working families, a $2.5 billion school construction bond, a 5% across-the-board salary increase for state employees and non-certified public school employees plus a $1,500 retention bonus for most state employees, a moratorium on taxpayer-funded private school vouchers and critical funding for workforce training, economic development, conservation, and resilience efforts. Securing North Carolina's Future is a responsible and balanced budget that invests $34.5 billion and maintains healthy state reserves while keeping taxes low.
"This budget is an opportunity to build on our state's momentum and make up ground in areas like public education, quality child care and clean drinking water, where legislators have fallen short," said Governor Roy Cooper. "As the number one state to do business in the country for two years in a row, we have the formula for success in our high-quality public schools, talented workforce and thriving economy. We must make targeted investments strengthening public education, boosting economic development, and protecting our natural resources to secure a bright future for North Carolina."
Committing to North Carolina Through Public Schools - Including a Moratorium on Unaccountable, Taxpayer-Funded Private School Vouchers
The Governor's budget invests over $1 billion in North Carolina's first-class public schools to fuel economic growth, attract business and sought-after workers, and position students to thrive now and in the future. It places a moratorium on taxpayer-funded private school vouchers that lack accountability and reprioritizes those funds to public schools.
The Governor's budget would lift starting teacher salaries to more than $47,500 including local and state supplements--the highest in the Southeast. It reinstates Master's Pay, increases salaries for school-based administrators and invests $34.7 million to expand Read to Achieve to middle school students. It provides funding for 700 elementary school teaching assistants in grades K-3. The budget provides $11 million to strengthen the pipeline of new teachers and creates opportunities for more North Carolinians to pursue careers in teaching by expanding Teaching Fellows program eligibility to more education schools and in more subject areas.
It makes investments in student success through $217 million for crucial support programs for disadvantaged students, children with disabilities, and students with limited English proficiency. It also supports student mental and physical health with $44.6 million for school counselors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers.
The budget addresses the $13 billion need for new school buildings by recommending that voters approve a $2.5 billion school construction bond on the November 2024 ballot.
Strengthening Child Care and Early Education for Working Families
The Governor's budget recognizes the need for child care and early education in sustaining our economy with a multifaceted $745 million investment. It mitigates the fiscal cliff in child care funding and keeps child care centers open with $200 million for Child Care Stabilization Grants and $128.5 million for child care subsidies that will increase reimbursement rates for providers in rural and low-wealth communities.
Our nationally recognized NC Pre-K program is at risk because of persistent underfunding by the General Assembly. The Governor's budget shores up NC Pre-K by investing $197 million to cover the full cost of care for NC Pre-K students and $24.4 million to provide summer programs for students once they complete NC Pre-K and before they enter kindergarten. The budget also further reduces child care costs for North Carolina families by providing a refundable child and dependent care tax credit.
Recognizing North Carolina's Skilled and Talented State Workforce
Governor Cooper's budget equips state government to attract and retain employees in the face of high turnover and a competitive job market. It invests $251.8 million to guarantee at least a 5% across-the-board salary increase and close to $400 million for a retention bonus for all state-funded employees.
The budget also supports solutions to complex labor market challenges with $195.8 million in funding for the Enhanced Labor Market Adjustment Reserve to give agencies, universities, and community colleges flexibility to address hard-to-retain and fill roles.
Supercharging North Carolina's Economy and Workers
The Governor's budget positions North Carolinians to thrive in a dynamic economy and stimulates job growth and business investments across the state. It invests in local workforce development, apprenticeship, and work-based learning programs that are proven to be pathways to good-paying jobs and capitalizes on the fast-growing economic sectors with funds for workforce training at community colleges.
The budget allocates $40 million for the Moore Manufacturing and Biotech Solutions Center for high-need job training, fortifies the health care sector with more than $18.5 million to expand the state's capacity to produce more health care professionals, and invigorates small businesses and job creation with a $49 million unemployment insurance tax cut and $9 million to help small businesses pursue federal funds through One NC.
It establishes a rural youth apprenticeship program based on successful existing models and invests $5 million in job coaching for people with barriers to employment. The budget also improves economic participation and opportunities for people who are post-incarceration with $12.8 million in funding for local reentry councils and support services.
The budget also invests in our manufacturing readiness with investments in the Certified Sites program and a $50 million investment in Radio Island infrastructure improvements.
Protecting Natural Resources and Communities for the Future
The Governor's budget prioritizes safe drinking water in North Carolina by establishing a $100 million fund to help communities clean their water from pollutants such as Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). The budget reinstates the Conservation Tax Credit, incentivizing preservation of vital habitats, farmlands, military buffers, and historic landscapes and increasing public access to natural areas. It bolsters recreational opportunities and protection and restoration of crucial land and water resources with additional funds for the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and the North Carolina Land and Water Fund.
The budget also prepares for the escalating threats North Carolinians face from natural disasters with $20 million in grants to improve draining and reduce flooding with waterway upgrades. It increases funding for resiliency programs and supports data-driven enhancements to coastal modeling in the Flood Resilience Blueprint. The budget includes just under $5 million for equipment to enhance the North Carolina Forest Service's capacity to battle wildfires.
Read the full budget recommendation here (https://www.osbm.nc.gov/governors-budget-rec-fy2024-25/download?attachment).
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Original text here: https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2024/04/24/securing-north-carolinas-future-governor-cooper-presents-budget-raises-teacher-pay-secures-child
Ohio State University Libraries Partners With the Office of Research for Data Sharing Memorandum
COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 25 -- The Ohio State University Libraries issued the following news:
A new group of experts representing over a dozen campus units has been formed to ensure there's a proactive and coordinated campus response to upcoming data sharing requirements impacting all sources of federally funded research.
The Ohio State University Libraries partnered with the Office of Research to sponsor this working group made up of several faculty members, staff from multiple offices and a representative from the Senate Research Committee. A key aspect of their work is to develop an outreach
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COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 25 -- The Ohio State University Libraries issued the following news:
A new group of experts representing over a dozen campus units has been formed to ensure there's a proactive and coordinated campus response to upcoming data sharing requirements impacting all sources of federally funded research.
The Ohio State University Libraries partnered with the Office of Research to sponsor this working group made up of several faculty members, staff from multiple offices and a representative from the Senate Research Committee. A key aspect of their work is to develop an outreachand education plan to ensure researchers have timely access to the information they need to be prepared. Together, the group will collaborate on:
* Conducting a collective study of the new policies to ensure a strong baseline of knowledge across campus.
* Developing an education and outreach strategy for communicating with researchers and their support teams.
* Updating the university's Research Data Policy to ensure alignment with sponsor policies.
* Making recommendations for longer-term strategies, including infrastructure needs.
The new requirements are in response to a memorandum (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-updates/2022/08/25/ostp-issues-guidance-to-make-federally-funded-research-freely-available-without-delay/) issued by the White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) Policy in August 2022. All federal agencies are now required to create or update all policies that facilitate public access to publications and data from sponsored research projects in addition to the larger federal agencies that had this requirement in 2013.
Broadening the data sharing expectations to all sources of federal funding has many anticipated benefits including promoting public trust in science through greater transparency, encouraging research integrity by making it easier to validate and reproduce studies and accelerating scientific discovery by removing barriers to access.
These anticipated benefits will also come with the challenge of ensuring that campus researchers are aware of the new requirements and have the support necessary to prepare data for public dissemination. This is especially true in research areas like the humanities that were not widely impacted by the earlier memorandum and will be expected to develop strategies for data management and sharing for the first time.
University Libraries and the Office of Research have complementary expertise relevant to public access requirements that will help ensure the success of this project. University Libraries draws on experience in archiving and preserving scholarly knowledge, while the Office of Research is a trusted partner in establishing and communicating university and sponsor policies.
The working group shared that they look forward to engaging more faculty stakeholders as their work progresses.
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Original text here: https://library.osu.edu/news/university-libraries-partners-with-the-office-of-research-for-data-sharing-memorandum
N.C. Gov. Cooper Joins NASA Astronaut Christina Koch and NC A&T Chancellor Harold Martin to Highlight North Carolina's Strong STEM Public Education Programs
RALEIGH, North Carolina, April 25 -- Gov. Roy Cooper, D-North Carolina, issued the following news release on April 23, 2024:
Today, Governor Roy Cooper joined NASA Astronaut Christina Koch and Chancellor Harold Martin at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to highlight North Carolina's strong STEM public education programs and discuss how public education has supported their careers. Students from the award-winning NC A&T rocketry team and several departments including physics, chemistry, biology and others were in attendance to hear from Koch, the Governor and Chancellor
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RALEIGH, North Carolina, April 25 -- Gov. Roy Cooper, D-North Carolina, issued the following news release on April 23, 2024:
Today, Governor Roy Cooper joined NASA Astronaut Christina Koch and Chancellor Harold Martin at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to highlight North Carolina's strong STEM public education programs and discuss how public education has supported their careers. Students from the award-winning NC A&T rocketry team and several departments including physics, chemistry, biology and others were in attendance to hear from Koch, the Governor and ChancellorMartin. Following the discussion, the group visited the drone bay and viewed demonstrations from the rocketry and drone teams.
"North Carolina's strong public schools are setting our students up for success and encouraging them to shoot for the stars to reach their full potential," said Governor Cooper. "We must invest in our public schools so they have the resources they need to prepare future astronauts, doctors and leaders. Astronaut Koch is a wonderful example of just how far you can go with a North Carolina public education."
"My time in North Carolina sparked my passion for exploration and helped me set my own journey to becoming an astronaut," said NASA Astronaut Christina Koch. "A strong educational and extracurricular foundation is key to ensuring we have the right set of skills to accomplish big things in space and on Earth in the future."
"We're delighted to join with NASA Astronaut Christina Koch and Gov. Roy Cooper in drawing student attention to the exciting career possibilities in America's space program," said North Carolina A&T Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. "Our long history with NASA and space exploration ranges from alumnus and astronaut Ronald McNair's service in the space shuttle program to three current A&T students who were named this year as Astronaut Scholars. We firmly believe that North Carolina A&T will figure prominently in America's space program and look forward to our students being even more inspired to apply to the space agency by today's visit."
At the event, Koch highlighted her journey from North Carolina public schools to exploring the final frontier of space. Koch grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina and attended North Carolina School of Science and Math in Durham and White Oak High School in Jacksonville. She then attended North Carolina State University where she earned Bachelor of Science degrees in electrical engineering and physics and a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering, as well as an Honorary PhD.
Koch was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013 and served as a flight engineer on the International Space Station for three expeditions. She will be returning to space as Mission Specialist I of NASA's Artemis II Mission. Artemis II is planned to launch September 2025 and will be the first mission to take humans to deep space in more than 50 years.
Governor Cooper declared 2024 as the Year of Public Schools and is spending this year highlighting North Carolina's strong public schools, teachers and staff across the state to show the positive impacts of a well-funded public education system on the state's economy and communities. From career readiness to educating future astronauts, North Carolina public schools go above and beyond in preparing students for whatever comes next in their lives.
Read "The Year of Public Schools" proclamation here (https://governor.nc.gov/governor-proclaims-year-public-schools-2024/open).
Read the Governor's remarks from "The Year of Public Schools" launch event here (https://nc-governor.medium.com/strong-schools-strong-communities-497498410e79).
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Original text here: https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2024/04/23/governor-cooper-joins-nasa-astronaut-christina-koch-and-nc-chancellor-harold-martin-highlight-north
Md. State Board of Education: New Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Will Reaffirm Her Commitment to High-Quality Education for All Children
BALTIMORE, Maryland, April 25 -- The Maryland State Board of Education issued the following news release on April 24, 2024:
New Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey M. Wright and State Board of Education President Clarence C. Crawford will host a press briefing in the Maryland State Board of Education meeting room to describe their vision for Maryland public schools, children, and families.
WHO: Dr. Carey M. Wright, State Superintendent of Schools
Mr. Clarence C. Crawford, President, Maryland State Board of Education
WHEN: 10 a.m. Monday, April 29, 2024
WHAT: First press briefing
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BALTIMORE, Maryland, April 25 -- The Maryland State Board of Education issued the following news release on April 24, 2024:
New Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey M. Wright and State Board of Education President Clarence C. Crawford will host a press briefing in the Maryland State Board of Education meeting room to describe their vision for Maryland public schools, children, and families.
WHO: Dr. Carey M. Wright, State Superintendent of Schools
Mr. Clarence C. Crawford, President, Maryland State Board of Education
WHEN: 10 a.m. Monday, April 29, 2024
WHAT: First press briefingwith the New Maryland State Superintendent of Schools
WHERE: State Board of Education meeting room
Maryland State Department of Education
200 West Baltimore Street, 7th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
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Original text here: https://news.maryland.gov/msde/md-superintendent-commitment/
Ill. EPA Announces $17.7 Million Notice of Funding Opportunity for Electric School Buses
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, April 25 -- The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on April 24, 2024:
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director John J. Kim today announced an open-ended $17.7 million Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to fund the replacement of existing diesel school buses with new all-electric school buses located and operated in any of the three priority areas outlined in the Volkswagen Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (BMP) and further described below. Illinois EPA will also fund a portion of electric bus charging equipment
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SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, April 25 -- The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on April 24, 2024:
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director John J. Kim today announced an open-ended $17.7 million Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to fund the replacement of existing diesel school buses with new all-electric school buses located and operated in any of the three priority areas outlined in the Volkswagen Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (BMP) and further described below. Illinois EPA will also fund a portion of electric bus charging equipmentif charging infrastructure is needed for buses with these funds. This funding opportunity will remain open until funding is depleted with grants awarded on a first- come, first-serve basis.
"The clean energy future is here and all communities--especially those most affected by air pollution--deserve to take part in the EV revolution," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Thanks to this open-ended grant, my administration is protecting our children's health and creating high-paying jobs by replacing existing diesel school buses with clean, electric models."
"This funding opportunity is our latest action to electrify the transportation sector," said Director Kim. "Utilizing an open-ended application process will allow us to award grants as applications are submitted and approved, providing a smoother, faster turnaround of funding to school districts in areas that are disproportionately impacted by air pollution."
Through this funding opportunity, Illinois EPA will fund projects in the three priority areas outlined in Illinois' BMP for the Volkswagen diesel emissions settlement and as specified in the NOFO:
* Priority Area 1: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties, Oswego Township in Kendall County, and Aux Sable and Goose Lake townships in Grundy County.
* Priority Area 2: Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair counties.
* Priority Area 3: Champaign, DeKalb, LaSalle, McLean, Peoria, Sangamon, and Winnebago counties.
Eligible applicants include school districts that own their buses or commercial school bus providers. Purchased buses must serve a school district within one of the three priority areas. Existing diesel buses must be engine Model Year 2009 and older diesel-powered Class 4 - 8 school buses and must be scrapped within 90 days of the new buses being placed into service. If an applicant does not currently own eligible existing diesel school buses to replace and scrap, the applicant may acquire eligible existing diesel school buses from another school district/commercial school bus provider in which the bus is still in operation and has at least 80 percent of its annual operational hours in 2021-2023 in the same county/counties as the applicant.
In April of 2022, Illinois EPA submitted a revised BMP to the VW Settlement Trustee, focusing Illinois' remaining VW allocation on electric transportation and infrastructure. The goals of the revised plan include reducing nitrogen oxide emissions in areas where the affected VW vehicles were registered. The revised BMP takes into consideration areas that do not meet federal air quality standards for ozone and bear a disproportionate share of the air pollution burden, including environmental justice areas.
The link to the Notice of Funding Opportunity is available at: https://gata.illinois.gov/grants/csfa.html?page=Opportunity.aspx&nofo=2801. All required forms and information can be found on the Driving A Cleaner Illinois webpage: https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/air-quality/driving-a-cleaner-illinois.html. Applications for the Driving a Cleaner Illinois - Volkswagen All-Electric School Buses NOFO will be accepted until funding is depleted.
All applicants must pre-qualify through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act Grantee Portal (https://grants.illinois.gov/portal/).
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Original text here: https://epa.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/epa/about-us/documents/news-releases/2024/04.24.2024-IEPA-VW-Electric-School-Buses-NOFO-Final.pdf
Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis Highlights Investments in Strengthening and Fortifying Florida
REDINGTON SHORES, Florida, April 25 -- Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, issued the following news release on April 24, 2024:
Today, Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted Florida's investments to strengthen the state's defenses against hurricanes through infrastructure improvements, beach fortification and support for homeowners.
The Governor highlighted infrastructure funding through the Resilient Florida Grant Program which provides grants to local communities to strengthen our coastal and inland communities against the impacts of flooding. Governor DeSantis also signed Senate Bill 7028 to continue
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REDINGTON SHORES, Florida, April 25 -- Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, issued the following news release on April 24, 2024:
Today, Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted Florida's investments to strengthen the state's defenses against hurricanes through infrastructure improvements, beach fortification and support for homeowners.
The Governor highlighted infrastructure funding through the Resilient Florida Grant Program which provides grants to local communities to strengthen our coastal and inland communities against the impacts of flooding. Governor DeSantis also signed Senate Bill 7028 to continuefunding the My Safe Florida Home Program, providing $200 million for the program in the upcoming fiscal year, and signed House bill 1029 to establish the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program. This new pilot program will provide condominium associations with funds to harden their condo infrastructure. Additionally, Governor DeSantis announced his commitment to signing $50 million to support beach nourishment projects.
"Strong infrastructure is the best way to protect against the impacts of a future hurricane," said Governor Ron DeSantis. "We are making investments that strengthen our state, help homeowners strengthen their homes, and increase our coastal protection against a storm."
"Governor DeSantis has consistently fought to make Florida's communities more resilient and secured more funding than any governor before him," said Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton. "As a result of these efforts, Florida is better positioned than ever to address the state's resilience challenges."
"Thanks to Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature, the My Safe Florida Home Program will receive another round of $200 million in funding, beginning July 1, 2024," said Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis. "The new funding will provide grants for nearly 20,000 Floridians with special priority going to help Florida's seniors and low-income homeowners first. There is no better time than right now to harden your home against storms and cut your homeowners insurance costs. Homeowners who completed the program reported an average savings of roughly $1,000 on their insurance premiums. Another hurricane season is fast approaching and unfortunately, Mother Nature loves our state and it's not if but when a major storm will take aim at Florida. Don't wait to protect your biggest investment from storms - your home."
"Under Governor DeSantis, the State of Florida has transformed itself into a national and global leader in flood mitigation and resilience," said Florida's Chief Resilience Officer Dr. Wes Brooks. "With billions being invested statewide in infrastructure adaptation and nature-based solutions, enhanced strategic coordination among state agencies, water management districts, and local governments, and ongoing efforts to develop and maintain a world-class flood data and modeling repository and technical center through the Florida Flood Hub, our state has never been more committed to securing thriving futures for all of its inland and coastal communities."
To support infrastructure improvements, the Governor highlighted $100 million in funding for the Resilient Florida Program appropriated in Senate Bill 1638, which was signed earlier this month. The program was established in 2021 to harden coastal infrastructure and help communities prepare for the impacts of flooding and hurricanes through targeted funding and directives that enhance efforts to protect our inland waterways, coastlines, shores, and coral reefs, all of which serve as invaluable defenses against flooding. With funding for the upcoming year, Florida has invested a total of $1.8 billion through the Resilient Florida Program, awarding more than 320 grants for comprehensive vulnerability assessments and 351 resilience projects. Additionally, since 2019, the Florida Department of Transportation work program has supported over $3.8 billion to reconstruct bridges to better withstand winds and over $1.1 billion to support our coastal seaports.
To support Florida homeowners, the Governor signed Senate Bill 7028, providing an additional $200 million towards the program which will fund more than 18,000 mitigation grants for homeowners. The My Safe Florida Home Program was re-established in 2022. The program provides homeowners with free wind mitigation inspections and matching grants to homeowners to help reduce their insurance premiums and strengthen their homes against future wind damage. The Governor also signed House Bill 1029, which creates the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program. The Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget provides $30 million for the pilot program to help condo associations harden their condo infrastructure.
To continue to fortify our beaches, Governor DeSantis also announced his commitment to signing $50 million in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget to support beach nourishment projects. Florida's coastlines are its first defense against a storm and ensuring that the state's beaches are strong is important to protect our coastal infrastructure. With this investment, Florida will have invested over $550 million in dedicated funds to beach nourishment since 2019.
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Original text here: https://www.flgov.com/2024/04/24/governor-ron-desantis-highlights-investments-in-strengthening-and-fortifying-florida/
Colo. House Democrats: House Advances Legislation to Increase Penalties for Child Labor Violations
DENVER, Colorado, April 25 -- The Colorado House Democrats issued the following news release on April 24, 2024:
The House today passed legislation on a preliminary vote to ramp up financial penalties for businesses that violate child labor laws.
"Over the years, Colorado has made important progress to improve child labor laws - but we must ensure violators are held accountable for their actions," said Rep. Sheila Lieder, D-Littleton. "Under current law, businesses face small or non-existent fines for child labor violations that could be putting our youth at risk. Our bill would significantly
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DENVER, Colorado, April 25 -- The Colorado House Democrats issued the following news release on April 24, 2024:
The House today passed legislation on a preliminary vote to ramp up financial penalties for businesses that violate child labor laws.
"Over the years, Colorado has made important progress to improve child labor laws - but we must ensure violators are held accountable for their actions," said Rep. Sheila Lieder, D-Littleton. "Under current law, businesses face small or non-existent fines for child labor violations that could be putting our youth at risk. Our bill would significantlyincrease financial penalties to hold bad actors accountable, and importantly, keep our youth safe. We're also committed to protecting those who speak out about child labor violations from retaliation, and this bill sets up guidelines to ensure those whistleblowers are protected."
"We need to ensure our state's child labor laws are working as intended - the health and safety of our youth depends on it," said Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder. "This bill encourages violation reporting, improves transparency around enforcement measures, and increases penalties for violations of these common sense protections. Outlined in the bill are additional whistleblower protections to keep those who report child labor violations safe from retaliation. At the end of the day, we need to ensure our businesses are operating lawfully and our youth is protected, and this bill brings us closer to that important goal."
HB24-1095 would update the Colorado Youth Employment Opportunity Act of 1971 and strengthen the penalty structure. Under current law, first-time child labor law violators face no fines or fines of only a few hundred dollars. This bill would raise total employer liability to $750 for first-time offenses and $10,000 for willful or repeated offenses. HB24-1095 would also remove legal disincentives that keep victims of child labor violations from reporting and protect child workers from employer retaliation.
Additionally, this bill would strengthen employer transparency by requiring the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) to publish child labor violations or determinations. CDLE must issue a written notice to an employer with a description of penalties and damages owed if the act is violated. Under this bill, all fine revenue will be deposited into the Wage Theft Enforcement Fund, which distributes payments owed to Colorado employees who have filed claims of wage theft.
Representative Lieder has championed important bills to strengthen worker protections and labor laws in Colorado. This includes HB23-1196, which amended language in the Colorado Youth Employment Opportunity Act of 1971 to expand the legal action that a child, or a parent of a child, can take to hold a company accountable for breaking the law.
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Original text here: https://www.cohousedems.com/news/house-advances-legislation-to-increase-penalties-for-child-labor-violations
