New child labor laws will allow youth referees

Youth sports referees will have their chance to take the field.

Children who are employed or work as youth athletic program referees, umpires or officials are exempt from Indiana’s child labor law that previously prohibited them from working.

However, Gov. Mike Pence signed Senate Bill 153 into law Tuesday, paving the way for youth to work as recreational athletic officials.

According to the bill, a child who is at least 12 years old, but younger than 18 and employed as a youth athletic program referee, umpire or official would not require an employment certificate.

Prior to Pence signing SB 153 into law, previous labor laws allowed children younger than 14 to only work as golf caddies, farm laborers and newspaper delivery persons.

13-year-old Matthew Burkart of Newburgh, Ind., who lobbied for child labor law reform so that he and his peers could work as youth soccer referees, was present in the governor’s office when Pence signed SB 153 into law.

Burkart worked on the bill alongside Sen. Vaneta Becker, R-Evansville and Reps. Suzanne Crouch, R-Evansville, Ron Bacon, R-Chandler, Gail Riecken, D-Evansville  and Martin Carbaugh, R-Fort Wayne.

— Anu Kumar