About the Bill

SB585 | Sen. Greg Leding | Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor 
This bill would require every employer with more than ten employees to provide pay stubs to each employee who is under the age of 18. It passed the Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor on Thursday. 

AACF Testimony On April 3, 2025, SB585, Senate Committee On Public Health, Welfare, and Labor

Christin Harper, Policy Director, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families

Good evening. My name is Christin Harper. I’m with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. For almost 50 years, Arkansas Advocates has worked to support public policy that serves all children and families. For that reason, I ask you to vote for SB585.

Giving minors access to their pay stub is an important teaching tool in financial literacy. Teens can learn how to track their gross pay and deductions; learn about what those deductions fund; and learn valuable budgeting skills when they learn how to read their pay stubs.

It is also an important safeguard for these young adults against potential bad actors who may try to take advantage of youth. Receiving a pay stub is a way for teens to ensure the hours they worked are correctly recorded and, in turn, that they were compensated accordingly. Arkansas is one of a handful of states that does not require employers to provide pay stubs to its employees, regardless of age. This bill will ensure that we are at least protecting one of the most vulnerable populations of our workforce – those under 18.

Part-time work for teens teaches important lessons in personal finance, time management, and confidence, but we always want to make sure that teens are working in safe environments, which means more than physical safety. Providing minors with their pay stubs protects our kids, so I ask you to please vote for SB585. Thank you.