Family farms all over Central New York are cheering a ruling by the Federal Department of Labor.
Congressman Bill Owens (D- Plattsburgh) announced Thursday evening that a proposed regulation that would prohibit youth from working on the farm has been officially withdrawn.
Not long after CNYcentral first reported on the controversy, Owens wrote to the Department of Labor, urging a reversal of the proposal and cosponsored legislation on the matter.
Earlier this month, Owens joined the New York Farm Bureau to once again call on the Department of Labor to drop the proposed regulation.
"This is great news for youth interested in agriculture and family farms across New York State. I applaud this commonsense decision by the Department of Labor to reverse course on a regulation that would have been damaging to New York family farms," said Owens.
Before it caved to heavy pressure, the Labor Department said the regulations were designed to protect the child's health and safety by restricting their access to heavy equipment and hazardous conditions.
