By AP
Oklahoma City – The Oklahoma Farm Bureau is praising the U.S. Department of Labor's decision to modify its regulations regarding child farm labor.
Farm Bureau President Mike Spradling says the original federal rules could have had a dramatic impact on the future of agriculture.
Under pressure from farm groups, the Labor Department this week agreed to change its plan that's intended to keep children away from some of the most dangerous farm jobs.
The proposal now will include broader exemptions for children whose parents are part owners or operators of farms, or have a substantial interest in a farm partnership or corporation. The rules would ban children younger than 16 from using most power-driven equipment and prevent those younger than 18 from working in feed lots, grain bins and stockyards.