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September 28, 1998
(House)


H.R. 4257 - Amending the Fair Labor Standards Act to Permit
Certain Youth to Perform Certain Work with Wood Products
(Pitts (R) PA and 14 others)

The Administration has deep respect for the cultural and religious traditions of the Amish and similar communities, and recognizes the well-intentioned efforts of the bill's sponsors to accommodate these traditions. The Administration, however, has serious concerns that H.R. 4257 could: (1) expose young workers to sawmills and other hazardous workplace conditions in the wood processing industry, with an occupational fatality rate five times higher than the national private-industry average; and (2) run afoul of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Pay-As-You-Go Scoring

H.R. 4257 would reduce receipts; therefore, it is subject to the pay-as-you-go requirement of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. The Office of Management and Budget's preliminary scoring estimate is that the net reduction would be insignificant.