LANSING – High school students looking for jobs may be able to work two hours longer under legislation that would eliminate the combination of school and work hours.

The proposal would set a maximum number of 20 hours that 16- and 17-year-old students can work per week.  It would change the current system that prohibits more than 48 hours of school and work overall.

It would raise the present ceiling from 18 hours weekly, but not restrict teens’ from working up to six days a week or 10 hours in one day. In addition students could still do farm work for up to 62 hours a week when school isn’t in session.

Sponsors include Sens. Tony Stamas, R-Midland; Jason Allen, R-Traverse City; Samuel Thomas III, D-Detroit; Dennis Olshove, D-Warren; and Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt.

“It takes care of a confusing situation where store owners have to keep track of combine hours for both work and school,” said Tom Scott, vice president of public affairs of the Michigan Retailers Association, which supports the change.  “It’s especially confusing when an employer has employees from different school districts that have different school hours.”

The Senate passed bill the bill in March 2005, and was referred to the House Committee on Commerce.  It is was referred to a second reading on February 7, 2006 and is waiting to be voted on in the House.

In 2004, Gov. Jennifer Granholm vetoed a bill that would have set a 22-hour maximum. In her veto statement, Granholm said that education should be teens’ first priority and warned that the change would lead to poorer performance in the classroom and on standardized tests.

“We’re going to be asking students to do well on a more rigorous curriculum,” said Elizabeth Boyd, the governor’s press secretary.  “The existing law has a good balance between the number of hours in the workplace and the number of hours in the classroom.”

Supporters of the bill believe that it would be easier for 16- and 17-year old students and their employers to determine how much students may work each week if the law set a flat maximum for work during the school year.

But opponents counter that many16- and 17-year-olds are overworked as it is.

According to committee analysis, “Children that age ought to concentrate on school and school-related pursuits.” 

The average student attends school for 1,098 hours.  Broken down to a school year, it translates to about 30 hours a week.

“We’re opposed to the bill.  We don’t want to see 16- and 17-year old employees’ work hours go up,” said Ken Fletcher, legislative director for the Michigan AFL-CIO.  “The current law has a good balance of hours worked.  We would support a flat rate if it stayed the same at 18 hours.”

The opposition to the bill also states that if there are students working fewer hours that there would be more jobs available for students overall.