When 2025 rolls around on January 1, three new laws will go into effect in Indiana.
Indiana’s child labor laws and penalties for violating them have been relaxed
Indiana has eased restrictions for working children.
Notably, all restrictions on the number of hours or times a 16 or 17 year old can work have been lifted. From the age of 16, teens can work any shift an adult can work, with or without adult supervision.
Children aged 14 or 15 still have a limit on the number of hours they can work on a school night, but there are more exemptions for younger teens who don’t have to meet those restrictions.
Children aged 14 or 15 are still allowed to work a maximum of three hours per day on a school day, eight hours on a non-school day, 18 hours per week during the school year and 40 hours per week in the summer. They may not start before 7 a.m. or work after 7 p.m. during the school year and until 9 p.m. in the summer.
Indiana law remains consistent with federal law that prohibits most forms of employment for children under the age of 14. Likewise, federal law still prohibits assigning minors to certain dangerous jobs, including an additional list of jobs considered unsafe for 14- and 15-year-olds.
Employers will no longer be fined for violations of working hours or correct shifts with periods of 10 minutes or less. Indiana can give employers an initial warning and modest fines for further violations, although federal inspectors can still impose harsher penalties.
Call before researching the law
Work on an excavation or excavation project should not begin until two full business days after the utility companies have been notified to inquire about the location of any underground lines that require marking. In Indianapolis, digging is not allowed before 7 a.m. (That means projects in the northwest and southwest corners of the state are not measured in their local time zone.)
In addition to a new minimum time frame between the moment of cancellation and the start of the project, there is also a new maximum time period. If a project has not started 10 calendar days after the notification date, a new request must be submitted and the process restarted.
The law now also requires that any excavator maintain at least two feet of distance in any direction from the location marked for utility lines.
Finally, the law will require utilities to respond to all tickets requesting line markings within two business days of the request. Anyone digging should confirm that they have received positive feedback from utility companies before beginning work.
Tickets and comments are available to search at Indiana811.org.
Indiana’s income tax rate has been slightly reduced
Indiana’s flat income tax rate will drop from 3.05% for all taxpayers to as low as 3%.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Three laws will change in Indiana starting Jan. 1
