Pennsylvania Renews Commitment to Protecting Child Performers Under State Labor Laws

by Madison A. Gregg and Cameron Smith

The Shapiro Administration has reaffirmed Pennsylvania’s commitment to enforcing child performer labor laws that protect minors in film, television, and theater productions. These protections ensure fair treatment, safe working conditions, and proper trust account management for children working in the entertainment industry.

What State Labor Laws Protect Child Performers?

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (“L&I”) under the guidance of Governor Shapiro is committed to ensuring that employers and managers of child performers comply with all provisions of the Pennsylvania Child Labor Act (“CLA”) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). The FLSA is a federal act that provides broad protections to all workers. The CLA provides for the health, safety, and welfare for children in the Pennsylvania Commonwealth.

Under the CLA, child performers are defined as any minor under 18 that models or renders artistic creative expression in a live performance, radio, television, movie, internet, publication, reality programming, or any other broadcast medium that is transmitted to an audience. To be defined as a child performer, the minor or any other person (including the minor’s parents and/or manager) must receive payment for the minor’s participation in the activity.

What Protections do Pennsylvania Child Performer Labor Laws Provide?

The CLA protects the health, safety, and welfare of children employed in the Pennsylvania Commonwealth by limiting employment for certain occupations and establishments, restricting the hours of work, regulating working conditions, and requiring work permits.

The number of hours that child performers are permitted to work within a 24-hour period is limited according to age. Any minor under the age of six months is not permitted to work. Child performers that are six months to one year are permitted up to two hours; performers aged two to five years are permitted up to three hours; performers aged six to eight years are permitted up to four hours; performers aged nine to 15 are permitted five hours; and performers aged 16 to 17 years are permitted up to six hours.

Child performers have a multitude of other protections under the Pennsylvania labor laws:

• Live performances are limited to a maximum of three times per day or 10 times per week;
• Child performers are required to have a meal break for at least 30 minutes each working day;
• Workdays may not begin before 5 a.m., and must end by 10 p.m. on evenings preceding school days or by 12:30 a.m. on evening preceding non-school days;
• 12 hours must elapse between time of dismissal and time of call on the following day;
• Age 14-17 may work during school hours only with permission from school authorities for up to two consecutive days.

Trust Account and Earning Safeguards for Child Performers

The Pennsylvania Child Labor Act requires a trust account for working child performers in order to safeguard their earnings until they reach the age of 18. A Child Performer Trust Account (“CPTA”) is required if the child performer’s earnings have exceeded or are anticipated to exceed $2,500. The parent or legal guardian is required to establish the CPTA and transfer at least 15% of the child’s earnings into the account.

The parent of legal guardian of a child performer is also required to provide the employer with the information necessary to enable the employer to transfer funds into the CPTA. Proceeds of the child performer trust account shall remain in the trust until the minor reaches at least 18 years of age.

Strengthened Enforcement and Penalties for Violators of Child Performer Labor Laws

Employers of child performers must apply for entertainment permits on behalf of each child performer. The L&I’s Bureau of Labor Law Compliance approves permits that meet all the requirements of the CLA.

The permits require information about the child’s employment arrangement and a parent or guardian’s signature. Employers should submit applications for entertainment permits to L&I before the child employee’s first performance or rehearsal.

Although each year, the BLLC issues approximately 1,500 entertainment permits, they also revoke permits that they find to have violated the CLA or FLSA. Punishment for violating the Child Labor Act depends on the severity of the violation. Violators may be punishable by criminal penalties for serious offenses or administrative fines up to $5,000.

How Miller Shah Can Help

Parents of child performers should consider speaking to an employment attorney as soon as you think something is wrong or off with respect to your child’s treatment or workplace conditions. The attorneys at Miller Shah can offer legal assistance when it comes to labor and employment matters, including child performer matters. Contact Miller Shah online or call 866-540-5505 to arrange for a consultation.