Bipartisan, Bicameral Leaders Reintroduce Future Logging Careers Act

Washington, D.C.--Today, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Angus King (I-Maine) and U.S. Representatives Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) to reintroduce the Future Logging Careers Act for the 117th Congress.  This legislation would allow teenage members of logging families to gain experience in the logging trade under parental supervision so that they may carry on the family business.

"In the logging industry, as in many other agricultural industries, family business is a way of life," said Crapo.  “This legislation offers tomorrow's leaders the opportunity to participate in family-led training to become the future of the industry.   Introduction to the field at a younger age under the supervision of family will further assist in the long-term restoration of Idaho forests and all national forest lands into healthy, fire-tolerant forests, and bring much-needed natural resources into the marketplace to make paper and build homes."

Additional co-sponsors of the legislation include Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) and John Cornyn (R-Texas).

Bill text can be found here.

The Future Logging Careers Act would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 so that 16 and 17-year-olds would be allowed to work in mechanized logging operations under parental supervision.