As haunted attractions prepare for their upcoming fall season, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) is reminding operators that they must submit an approved safety plan before applying for permits for performers under 18.
L&I is also encouraging parents of child performers to talk with their children about their experiences at work to ensure their children feel safe and are treated fairly.
“For many young people, the Halloween season is an opportunity to gain valuable work experience and build confidence,” said L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker. “Every child performer deserves a safe workplace where the law is followed. That’s why haunted attraction operators must develop and submit safety plans that identify potential risks and explain how those risks will be addressed before permits for minors are issued. We also want parents and young performers to know that L&I is a resource to answer questions, investigate concerns, and help protect workers’ rights.”
L&I has made protecting workers’ rights a priority, returning more than $18.57 million in unpaid wages to workers across the commonwealth by enforcing state labor laws. While this commitment has ensured that 9,000 workers were paid the wages they earned, it has also safeguarded the rights of over 6.2 million working Pennsylvanians while fostering a level playing field for businesses that comply with Pennsylvania’s labor laws.
Operators must comply with all provisions of the Child Labor Act and other applicable protections when employing young performers or volunteers, including obtaining required work permits and providing required breaks.
Effective May 1, 2026, the Bureau of Labor Law Compliance (BLLC) requires haunted attraction operators to submit a safety plan and obtain approval before applying for performance permits. The BLLC, in its discretion, will not issue permits for minors to perform at haunted attractions until it approves a safety plan for the haunted attraction.
Safety plans must describe how operators will protect the health, safety, and welfare of child performers, including policies for addressing workplace hazards, employee training, criminal background checks, and procedures for reporting concerns.
Children working or volunteering as performers are afforded special protections under state law, such as required breaks. Employers of child performers must apply for entertainment permits on behalf of each child performer, including those who perform live at Halloween-themed attractions.
The BLLC approves permits that meet the requirements of the Act. Each year, the BLLC issues approximately 1,500 entertainment permits.
Violations of the Child Labor Act may be punishable by either criminal penalties or administrative fines up to $5,000.
The BLLC responds to all complaints filed by members of the public who suspect violations of the Child Labor Act and other Pennsylvania labor laws. Workers, parents, employers, school officials, co-workers, and members of the public may submit a complaint on L&I’s website.
Garrity highlights strong state-local partnership
Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity this week joined county leaders from across the commonwealth at the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) Annual Conference to discuss the important partnership between state and local government and to provide updates on Pennsylvania Treasury Department initiatives.
“Working with our partners at the local level is essential to strengthening communities, supporting local economies, and delivering results for Pennsylvanians,” Garrity said. “Connecting with leaders across all levels of government helps us share ideas, tackle challenges collaboratively, and ensure a brighter future for our Commonwealth.”
Garrity highlighted the Treasury’s INVEST PA program, which provides municipalities, counties, other public entities, and nonprofits with safe, unlimited transactions and competitive yields to help maximize returns on taxpayer dollars while preserving liquidity and security. Entities interested in learning more about INVEST PA can visit patreasury.gov/INVEST.
“This is an excellent example of how intergovernmental collaboration benefits the residents we collectively serve,” Dr. Kyle Kopko, CCAP executive director, said. “We thank the Pennsylvania Treasury for their partnership and Treasurer Garrity for joining us at our annual conference in Monroe County.”
Treasurer Garrity also returned more than $514,000 in unclaimed property owed to CCAP, county governments, and vendors during the conference held at the Kalahari Resort in Monroe County.
“Every dollar we return makes a meaningful impact because it doesn’t belong to the state; it belongs to hardworking communities across the commonwealth,” Garrity said. “These funds can be invested in local programs that support families and strengthen our neighborhoods.”
The Treasury is working to return more than $5 billion in unclaimed property to its rightful owners. More than one in 10 Pennsylvanians is owed unclaimed property, and the average claim is worth over $1,000.
Unclaimed property can include things like dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten stocks, and more. It can also include physical assets, such as collectible coins, jewelry, and savings bonds, that most often come to Treasury as the contents of safe deposit boxes.
To learn about unclaimed property or to search the Treasury’s database, visit patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property.
Program will help solve violent crimes, cold cases
Lieutenant Gov. Austin Davis this week was joined by legislators from both sides of the aisle to highlight new funding in the 2026-27 budget to create the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Program — designed to help local police departments solve cold cases, homicides, and other violent crimes.
The commonwealth’s $2.5 million investment in the new program will be matched with $1 million in philanthropic dollars from Arnold Ventures. The grants will be awarded through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), which is also led by Davis.
“Statewide, violent crime is down 16% since we took office,” Davis said. “But we can’t truly celebrate, while so many families are still mourning, still grieving, still waiting for justice. That’s why I’m proud to highlight a new investment coming from our bipartisan budget — the VICTIM Program. We’re funding this new program with $2.5 million for grants to local law enforcement, with the intention of helping them solve homicides and other violent crimes.”
Democratic and Republican lawmakers were on hand at the news conference to emphasize the importance of this new program.
The bipartisan state budget also supports victims of crime with:
• $4.5 million to support victims and survivors in the aftermath of crime through the Victims Compensation Assistance Program (VCAP).
• A $12 million increase for rape crisis centers across the commonwealth — the largest increase in history and nearly doubling their overall support.
“The investment announced through the VICTIM Act is an investment in healing and justice,” said Adara Combs, executive director of Philadelphia’s Office of Victim Advocate. “Every time a cold case is solved, it is more than an arrest — it is an opportunity for truth, accountability, and healing.”
Violent crime has gone down 16%, and homicides have decreased by 39%. Recent analysis has also shown that homicide and violent crime clearance rates have improved statewide.
The 2026-27 budget builds on that progress by investing $16.2 million to support four additional cadet classes for the Pennsylvania State Police.
To date, funding has been secured for 16 cadet classes to train more than 1,600 new state troopers, and PCCD funding has been obtained to help municipal police departments recruit and retain nearly 700 municipal police officers across the commonwealth.
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Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on X @TLBillOBoyle.
