What's happening
This bill allows minors over 12 to work as referees for youth athletic events under specific safety and parental consent conditions.
Why it matters
Expands job opportunities for young teens. By allowing minors over 12 to serve as referees, the bill creates a new, supervised pathway for early work experience, potentially helping youth develop responsibility, leadership, and communication skills.
Emphasizes child safety and parental involvement. Work is only allowed under strict conditions: the young referee must be trained and tested according to safety standards, work no more than 20 hours per week, only when school is out, and must have a parent or guardian present or provide written parental consent.
Targets age-appropriate settings. The law restricts minors to officiating games where all participants are 12 or younger, reducing exposure to older, potentially more intense or physically risky sporting environments.
May help address referee shortages in youth sports. By enlarging the pool of eligible referees, local youth leagues and organizations may find it easier to staff games, potentially improving access to organized sports for children.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Kids Referee Youth Sports
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to labor
- Referred to labor
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Let Kids Referee Youth Sports
In Senate Committee · Rules · Sponsor Joseph A. Griffo
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2666
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 20, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. DenDEKKER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to permitting a minor over twelve years of age to work as a referee for athletic games or competitions under certain circumstances
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 130 of the labor law is amended by adding a new paragraph i to read as follows:
i. A minor over twelve years of age as a referee at an athletic game, competition or tournament, involving competitors who are twelve years of age or younger, hosted by an athletic association or organization that has trained and tested such minor in accordance with established safety standards, for a duration of twenty hours or less per week and during times when school is not in session and the minor is accompanied by the parent or guardian or has presented the written consent of the parent or guardian.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05640-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.