Maine has passed legislation, which the governor is expected to sign, that will allow students aged 16 and 17 to work six hours a day after school ends for a maximum of 24 hours a week. Additionally, work must cease by 10:15 p.m. if school is in session the next day.

An earlier version that would've removed all restrictions failed to survive debate.

“In this case Maine has had the most restrictive laws related to 16- and 17-year-olds in the nation,” Senator Chris Rector, R-Thomaston, the co-chair of the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee, said during debate on the bill. ”We have been the outliers, far more restrictive than our New England counterparts and far more restrictive than most other states.”

Child labor restrictions first became the law of the land with the passage of the landmark Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in 1938. For further details on your obligations as an employer, order a copy of Personnel Concepts' comprehensive FLSA  Compliance Program today.