HB 24-1095: Colorado Youth Employment Opportunity Act of 1971 - Minor Worker Protections

• Increases penalties for child labor violations, with fines ranging from $2,000-$4,000 for basic violations and up to $10,000 for willful or repeat violations within five years.

• Establishes damages payable to aggrieved minors of $7,000-$27,000 for first violations of hazardous work restrictions and $500-$2,000 for other violations, with higher amounts for willful or repeat offenses.

• Extends the director's investigative powers to include information-gathering authorizations and allows filing of final orders with courts as judgments, enabling wage garnishment to enforce compliance.

• Creates a rebuttable presumption of retaliation if an employer takes disciplinary action against a worker within 90 days of exercising rights under the youth employment law.

• Appropriates $125,255 for fiscal year 2024-25 and implements annual inflation adjustments to penalty and damage amounts beginning January 1, 2026; effective date is January 1, 2025.