INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Supporters of a bill to eliminate some of Indiana’s restrictions on the hours teens can work said Tuesday the move brings Indiana into line with federal labor standards.

Under current state law, 16 and 17-year-olds cannot work more than nine hours in any one day or more than 40 hours during a school week. They also can’t begin a work day before 6 a.m. The Senate voted along party lines Tuesday morning to eliminate those restrictions. The bill also allows 14 and 15-year-olds to work until 9 p.m. during the summer months, later than the 7 p.m. limit under current law.

The bill’s supporters said this would bring Indiana’s child labor laws into line with federal law. Federal law sets no hour limits for workers between the ages of 16 and 18 as long as they don’t work in hazardous occupations, while 14 and 15-year-olds are permitted to work until 9 p.m. under federal law.

Supporters also said the bill would provide young workers with more opportunities to earn money and grow as a person. Sen. Michael Crider, R-Greenfield, said he had no trouble making grades despite working as early as age 10. He said nothing in the bill takes away a parent’s ability to decide when and where their teenager works.

“This is about priorities and parents are going to make the decision,” he said. “The reality is, people are going to do what they need to do to survive, and this is not an either/or proposition.”

Democrats have vehemently criticized the bill throughout its journey through the legislature. They point to Department of Labor statistics which show child labor law violations are rising. During Fiscal Year 2023, the Department of Labor said it found nearly 5,800 young workers employed in violation of child labor laws, an increase of 88% since 2019. Civil money penalties for child labor violations in FY 2023 topped $8 million, nearly double the previous year.

Senate Minority Leader Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, said he took exception to language in the bill to make it easier for students to get permission to skip school for work reasons.

“This is a bad piece of legislation, especially when we see the big red dot in front of us that says our children are struggling in school,” he said. “We’d be better off coming in here talking about how we could, somehow, through workforce training, incentivize educational attainment.”

The bill has already passed the House. It must return to that chamber due to changes the Senate made.