What's happening
This bill allows minors as young as 12 to work as referees, umpires, or officials at youth sporting events under certain conditions.
Why it matters
Provides a structured way for 12- and 13-year-olds to gain early work experience. by allowing them to officiate youth sporting events, potentially building confidence, responsibility, and leadership skills at a younger age.
Requires both parental/guardian consent and proof of satisfactory academic performance. before a minor can participate, ensuring that work does not interfere with education or family oversight.
Limits the number of events a minor can officiate to one per week. , balancing opportunities for work with the need to protect minors from excessive labor and to prioritize their schooling and well-being.
Expands eligibility for minors to serve as officials at games involving slightly older youth. (up to age 15 in some sections), creating more opportunities for minors in youth sports while maintaining safeguards.
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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 Officiate Youth Sports
In Assembly Committee · Labor · Sponsor David Buchwald
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5236
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 17, 2019
Introduced by Sen. RAMOS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to permitting the employment of minors as referees, umpires or officials at youth sporting events
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 2 of the labor law is amended by adding a new subdivision 17 to read as follows:
17. "Youth sporting event" means organized participation in a competitive physical activity aimed at using, maintaining or improving physical ability and skills of minors.
§ 2. Subdivision 2 of section 130 of the labor law is amended by adding a new paragraph i to read as follows:
i. A minor twelve or thirteen years of age as a referee, umpire or official at a youth sporting event for minors predominately ten years of age or less when attendance upon instruction is not required by the education law, provided the employing organization receives and maintains both the written consent of the minor's parent or guardian and a certificate which shall be provided to the employing organization at the end of each marking period by the minor's school which shall assert that such minor is in satisfactory academic standing according to the standards in such school district. A minor eligible to work pursuant to this paragraph shall only serve as a referee, umpire or official at most one youth sporting event per week.
§ 3. Paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 131 of the labor law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 7 to read as follows:
(7) Service as a referee, umpire or official at a youth sporting event for minors predominately twelve years of age or less.
§ 4. Paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 132 of the labor law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 7 to read as follows:
(7) Service as a referee, umpire or official at a youth sporting event for minors predominately fifteen years of age or less.
§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00317-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the labor law, in relation to permit- ting the employment of minors as referees, umpires or officials at youth sporting events
Purpose
This bill amends the Labor Law to include an exception to allow minors, ages twelve through seventeen, to serve as a referee, umpire or official at a youth sporting event without a certificate of employment or permit in limited circumstances. There are multiple protections in the bill to address parental approval, academic criteria and Labor Law concerns. This legislation would allow more young people to get paid to perform this work in their communities, as well as fill what is in many communi- ties a shortage of youth sports officials.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 adds a new subdivision 17 to section 2 of the Labor Law to define the term "youth sporting event" to include organized partic- ipation in a competitive physical activity aimed at using, maintaining or improving physical ability and skills of minors.
Read the full memo (852 words)
Section 2 adds a new paragraph i to subdivision 2 of section 130 of the Labor Law to provide an exemption to allow twelve and thirteen year olds to serve as referees, umpires or officials at youth sporting events for minors predominately ten years of age or less when attendance upon instruction is not required by the education law. In order to serve as a referee, these minors would be required to provide written consent from a parent or guardian, be in good academic standing with the school district and would not be allowed to officiate at more than one youth sporting event per week.
Section 3 adds a new subparagraph 7 to paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 131 of the Labor Law by providing an exception to allow fourteen and fifteen year olds to serve as a referee, umpire or official at a youth sporting event for minors predominantly twelve years of age or less when attendance upon instruction is not required by the education law.
Section 4 adds a new subparagraph 7 to paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 132 of the Labor Law to provide an exception for sixteen and seventeen year olds to serve as a referee, umpire or official at a youth sporting event for minors predominantly fifteen years of age or less.
Section 5 states this this act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
In New York State, anyone under the age of 18 must show an employment certificate before they can work. These certificates, commonly known as "working papers," are issued by school districts and are valid for two years from the date of issue. In order to qualify for an employment certificate, applicants must present evidence of age, a parental or guardian signature, certificate of physical fitness, a pledge of employ- ment, their school record and their social security number. New York State labor laws stipulate that no minor under the age of fourteen shall be employed in or in connection with any trade, business or service. However, numerous exceptions have been created to allow minors to work before the age of fourteen. For instance, an eleven year old may be employed as a newspaper carrier. Provisions also exist to allow twelve and thirteen year olds to work on a family farm, family market stand or as a bridge caddie. Child performers and models are also allowed to work under the age of fourteen. All of these exceptions are allowed as long as they comply with either the Education Law work requirements for minors or provisions contained within the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law.
When exceptions have allowed children under the age of fourteen to be permitted to work in a certain field, the amendment has also provided provisions allowing youth ages fourteen through seventeen to be employed in that same field without certificate of employment or permit. Similar to that of the exclusion for a bridge caddie, this exception allowing twelve and thirteen year olds to be employed as a referee, umpire or official at a youth sporting event, accompany provisions allowing those ages fourteen through seventeen to do so without an employment certif- icate or permit.
Currently, many youth sport leagues are experiencing shortages in refer- ees or umpires. For example, many youth hockey leagues are trying to cope with a significant shortage of youth referees. This legislation would allow more young people to enjoy contributing to youth sports regardless of their athletic ability and to learn the value of gainful employment.
Impact on regulation of businesses and individuals
None.
Effect on fines, terms of imprisonment or other penal sanctions
None.
Legislative history
2017-2018: A.189 (Buchwald) - Referred to Labor / S.4295 (Alcantara) Referred to Labor 2015-2016: A.6409 (Buchwald) - Referred to Labor / S.5274 (Martins) - Passed Senate 2015: A.6409 (Buchwald) - Referred to Labor 2013-14: A.8457 (Buchwald) - Referred to Labor / S.7373 (Grisanti) Referred to Labor 2011-12: A.7484 (Gibson) - Referred to Labor / S.510 (Maziarz) - Passed Senate 2009-10: S.6652 (Maziarz) - Referred to Labor
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This bill shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.