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SB 68                                                                                                                         
SENATE BILL NO. 68 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                                                
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
          "An Act relating to employment; relating to voluntary                                                                 
          flexible work hour plans; relating to the employment                                                                  
          of minors; and relating to hours worked by minors                                                                     
          employed in the state."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
was read the first time and referred to the State Affairs and Labor and                                                         
Commerce Committees.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
The following fiscal information was published today:                                                                           
 Fiscal Note No. 1, zero, Department of Labor and Workforce                                                                     
  Development                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Governor's transmittal letter dated January 21:                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Dear President Stevens:                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Under the authority of Article III, Section 18 of the Alaska                                                                    
Constitution, I am transmitting a bill relating to employment, overtime                                                         
pay, and the employment of minors. This bill would authorize                                                                    

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additional options for voluntary flexible work hour plans and ease the                                                          
conditions under which employers may obtain permission from the                                                                 
commissioner of labor and workforce development to employ minors.                                                               
                                                                                                                                
State law requires that employers pay overtime to hourly employees                                                              
when they work more than eight hours in one day, subject to certain                                                             
exceptions. One exception is a flexible work hour plan. In a flexible                                                           
work hour plan, an employee may agree to work up to 10 hours in one                                                             
day so long as the employee does not exceed 40 hours in one week.                                                               
This bill would increase the daily hour limit to 12 hours in one day,                                                           
thereby allowing an employee to work three 12-hour workdays in one                                                              
week, totaling 36 hours, instead of the standard five days of eight hour                                                        
shifts.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
In addition, the bill would ease conditions under which employers may                                                           
obtain permission from the Commissioner of the Department of Labor                                                              
and Workforce Development to employ minors. The restriction on                                                                  
youth employment would be lowered from under 17 years of age to                                                                 
under 16 years of age. The bill would allow the Commissioner to issue                                                           
general written authorizations to employers to employ minors without                                                            
requiring that each job duty be specifically approved or each minor                                                             
individually authorized or provided with written parental consent.                                                              
Minors working in a family business under the supervision of a family                                                           
member would be exempted from the written authorization                                                                         
requirement altogether. Finally, the bill would increase the hours that                                                         
minors under 16 years of age may work.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
I urge your prompt and favorable action on this measure.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Sincerely,                                                                                                                      
/s/                                                                                                                             
Mike Dunleavy                                                                                                                   
Governor