Provides relative to employment certificates for minors (RE NO IMPACT See Note)

HB 232 amends Louisiana's employment certificate requirements for minors by fundamentally shifting the responsibility for certificate creation and issuance from school officials to minors and their parents. The bill repeals R.S. 23:183, which defined issuing authorities as designated school and school board officials, and repeals the associated procedural requirements that required schools to complete and electronically submit certificates through the Department of Labor's interactive form system. Instead, the bill amends R.S. 23:181 to require the Secretary of Louisiana Works to prescribe and furnish the employment certificate form through the department's website or local field offices, and specifies minimum form requirements including signature lines for the minor and parent or legal guardian, a statement of parental consent and authorization, checkboxes for selecting proofs of age, and fields for the prospective employer's name and date information. The bill also amends R.S. 23:184 to establish that certificates are valid and binding upon the minor's personal application and submission to the employer with verification of age by the employer, removing the prior requirement for issuing authority approval.

The practical effect eliminates the role of school superintendents, principals, and their designated representatives in approving and issuing certificates, transferring that authority directly to minors working with their parents and employers. Minors seeking employment will now complete the certificate form themselves, obtain parental consent and signature on the form, and submit it directly to the prospective employer rather than going through school officials. Employers bear the responsibility for verifying the minor's age through documents specified on the certificate form, such as birth certificates or certified birth cards. This shift removes administrative burden from schools and school boards, which are no longer required to maintain records of issued certificates, track denials, or submit information to the Department of Labor's database. Employers must maintain filed certificates for fourteen days after employment termination under amended R.S. 23:187.

The legislation operates within Louisiana's employment law framework governing minors, codified in R.S. 23, Chapter 1. The bill retains the Secretary of Louisiana Works' authority to revoke improperly issued certificates under R.S. 23:191 but removes the requirement to notify issuing authorities of revocations since schools are no longer part of the process. The change effectively decentralizes the certification process by eliminating the prior gatekeeping function of educational institutions. The bill maintains existing age verification requirements and the restriction that certificates are valid only for the employer listed on the certificate, preserving employer-specific restrictions while simplifying the administrative pathway for minors to obtain work authorization. The effective date of August 2, 2026, allows for the Department of Labor to implement website and field office distribution systems before the statutory requirements take effect.