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H.R. 1193119th CongressIn committeeLatest action Feb 11, 2025Decoded by AI · checked against the record
The plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
HR 1193 would let 16- and 17-year-olds operate heavy logging equipment, removing a longstanding federal ban on minors in the industry.
50-second read · 4 questions answered below
HR 1193 would create an exception to federal child labor law, allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to work in logging and timber harvesting jobs currently banned for anyone under 18. This includes operating heavy machinery such as feller-bunchers, log loaders, bulldozers, and excavators. The Secretary of Labor could still restrict specific tasks deemed especially hazardous, except when a teenager works for a parent or legal guardian's logging business.
The bill would directly affect teenagers in logging and timber communities seeking early entry into the industry, as well as employers who hire them. The Department of Labor would also be affected, taking on responsibility for determining which specific logging tasks remain off-limits for minors.
Federal law currently treats most logging work as too dangerous for anyone under 18, and this bill would remove that blanket protection for 16- and 17-year-olds. States with active timber industries, including Maine, Pennsylvania, and Idaho, would likely see the greatest real-world impact.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.