With summer youth leagues well under way, Gov. George Ryan on Thursday signed into law a measure that lets young teenagers work as paid umpires and referees on ballfields around the state.
The new rule provides an exception to child labor laws, which forbid children from working for pay before they turn 14.
“This law will let 12- and 13-year-olds earn a few dollars working as referees and umpires while at the same time providing supervisory requirements to protect them,” Ryan said.
The rule change also will help park districts and youth leagues that “often struggle to find people to officiate,” he said.
Lawmakers took up the cause of the underage umpire this year after the Darien Youth Club baseball league got into trouble with the Illinois Department of Labor for hiring officials younger than 14 to call their games. The Darien league was paying $10 per game for the service.
After receiving an anonymous complaint, the Labor Department audited the league and cited it for violations, such as failing to keep a registry of underage workers and a file of employment certificates.
The new law allows those umpires to work this summer, as long as they abide by a few rules.
The child’s parent or guardian has to be present whenever he or she is officiating, and the employer has to get an employment certificate for the child from the local high school or school district.
Also, the youthful official cannot work: more than three hours a day on school days; more than four hours on non-school days; more than 10 hours a week; or after 9 p.m. The child also has to be at least three years older than any of the children playing in the sporting event–unless someone at least 16 or older also is officiating.
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Darien parents were marveling Thursday at how fast government solved this problem. But parents had figured out a loophole that worked pretty well throughout the season. Home team coaches were “allowed” to tip young umpires, and the recommended amount, if coaches were so inclined, was $10 a game–the same amount the umps were paid until this year’s dust-up.
“I bought some candy, bought a baseball bat and I’m still saving up for stuff,” said Brian Glennon, a 12-year-old ump who made about $150 this season. “It was better than umping for nothing.”
Still, Brian said he was pleased the state will allow for younger umpires.
“I was kind of happy because now we get paid instead of making the home team coach pay out of their pockets,” he said.
League officials are planning a formal appreciation for legislators who shepherded the bill through the Statehouse.
“The only thing I’m surprised about is how quickly it all happened,” said Doreen Prosia, one of the league’s umpire directors. She said she had more than enough young volunteer umpires to staff games.
Ryan also signed a new law creating the Senior Health Assistance Program, which will reach out to seniors and help them navigate the complicated network of agencies providing prescription drug coverage.