3-A.__Issuance of work permit.__The director or the director's agent shall issue the work permit to the minor upon verification:

A.__Of the proper approval by the superintendent or other designated school official; and

B.__That the employment conforms with the provisions of this subchapter.

The superintendent's office shall distribute the work permit to the minor.__The work permit is valid only for the employer and positions listed on the permit as issued by the bureau.

4. Conditions for revocation. The superintendent may revoke the work permit issued to a minor by the bureau if the superintendent determines that the minor has not maintained the conditions for issuance of the work permit under subsection 2, paragraph A. The superintendent shall revoke 2nd work permits at the end of the summer vacation in accordance with the limits imposed by subsection 2, paragraph D. The superintendent shall notify the Director of the Bureau of Labor Standards and the minor's employer in writing upon revoking a minor's work permit. The revocation is effective upon receipt by the employer of the superintendent's notice.

5. Permit on file. The employer shall keep all work permits issued for the employer's minor employees on file and accessible to any attendance officer, factory inspector or other authorized officer charged with the enforcement of this subchapter.

6. Exception. This section does not apply to minors engaged in work performed in the planting, cultivating or harvesting of field crops or other agricultural employment not in direct contact with hazardous machinery or hazardous substances or to minors engaged in household work. Minors who are participants in summer youth employment and training programs funded by the Department of Labor are exempt from obtaining individual permits as long as the program employing the minor has

submitted a master permit as developed by the director under section 777.

Sec. 2. 26 MRSA §777, as amended by PL 1993, c. 527, §2, is further amended to read:

§777. Blanks furnished; filing of triplicate permits; surrender

and cancellation of permits

The blank work permit required by section 775 must be formulated by the director and furnished by the director to the persons authorized to issue sign work permits. The forms of the permits must be approved by the Attorney General. Every work permit must be made out in triplicate. All triplicates, accompanied by the original papers on which the permits were issued signed, must be forwarded to the bureau by the officer issuing signing the permits, within 24 hours of the time the permit was issued signed. The bureau shall examine the papers and promptly return them to the officer who sent them after validating the copies and retaining one copy for bureau files. The officer may then return to the minor all papers filed in proof of age. Whenever there is reason to believe that a work permit was improperly issued signed, the director, deputy director or agent shall notify the local superintendent of schools of the place in which the certificate was issued signed. The local superintendent shall cancel the permit when directed to do so by the director. The director may develop an electronic transmittal system to fulfill these requirements.

The director shall develop a master permit system for participants in summer youth employment and training programs funded by the Department of Labor. The master permit eliminates the need for prior approval by the director or the superintendent of schools. A minor on a master permit may be removed from the master permit for the same reasons and in the same manner as applicable to an individual work permit.

SUMMARY

This bill clarifies that a work permit is effective when approved and issued by the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards.

This bill also clarifies that the permit is in force only for the specific employer listed on the permit.

This bill also allows the Bureau of Labor Standards to adopt an electronic transmittal system to speed up the work permit process.