Bill > HB4005

This bill, titled "The Workforce Development Act of 2026," aims to clarify and expand opportunities for young people in West Virginia to engage in work and apprenticeships. It establishes a "Youth Apprenticeship Program" allowing public, private, or home school students in their eleventh or twelfth grade, or those aged 16 and older, to participate in apprenticeship programs, with the crucial stipulation that no apprenticeship will be authorized for occupations already prohibited for children under 16 according to federal law and West Virginia's child labor regulations. The bill also revises the age at which certain hazardous occupations are prohibited, generally raising the age from under 18 to under 16 for specific nonagricultural jobs, while aligning with federal guidelines for hazardous occupations and allowing for specific exemptions for apprentices and student-learners. Furthermore, it clarifies that children aged 16 and older may work in hazardous agricultural occupations under federal guidelines and permits 16- and 17-year-olds to work in occupations not otherwise prohibited by state or federal law, including specific provisions for volunteer firefighters. The bill also allows students in approved Youth Apprenticeship Programs to work with machinery in occupations not prohibited by federal or state law, provided they are under direct supervision, and maintains existing exemptions for 16- and 17-year-olds performing roofing operations under specific conditions.

Government Affairs

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4005&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill