Jon and Kate's Law: PA Rep. Murt's Child Labor Bill signed into law

Thank you, Rep. Murt, for the more than two years you devoted to this important cause.

A child on reality T.V. is working, not playing.

"Remember, the kids are just playing in front of the cameras, so." Kate Gosselin, Larry King Live, August 25, 2009.

A child on reality T.V. deserves to be paid fairly for their work.

The original TLC contracts provided for payment only to Kate and Jon, not to the children. After more than three years of filming, TLC finally established a trust fund for the children, in November 2009. The Gosselin children first appeared on screen in May 2006.

A child on reality T.V. deserves to have his or her money protected from their parents and others who may seek, either intentionally or unintentionally, to misappropriate it.

Kate's spending

A child on reality T.V. deserves to have his or her health, safety, comfort, happiness and education put before obligations to their T.V. show.

Those are just some of the reforms that Rep. Tom Murt has been working for more than two years to get Pennsylvania to understand that they need. Yesterday, Governor Tom Corbett signed House Bill 1548, which affords reality T.V. kids and regular child actors the same protections. Among the reforms, it requires trust funds be set up, a parent or guardian must be allowed within sight and sound of the children at all times (the Gosselins were filmed more than once without Kate or Jon on set), and, perhaps most importantly, requires a studio teacher on set (a licensed teacher), even on reality T.V. shows, to facilitate plenty of time for mandated schoolwork and rest. Finally, an independent set of eyes on our children who are working.

A brief explanation of the hours a kid can work, which were modeled after California's strict laws and have been a little misunderstood in the press: Babies under 6 months can be on set a maximum of 2 hours. Ages 6 months to 2 years old can be on set for four hours, but can only work on camera for two. Ages 2 to 6 can be on set 6 but work just three hours. Kids ages 6 to 9 can work 4 hours a day but are allowed to be on set for 8. Kids age 9 to 16 can be on set for 9 hours, but can only work 5. The rest of the time must be devoted to rest and schoolwork. There is a mandatory rest period of at least 12 hours between consecutive shooting days. So if the family stays up late to film a segment about fireworks until 11 p.m., the children are not permitted to start work again the next day until 11 a.m.

Should the Gosselins ever film again, Kate will find herself facing some big changes on set. Thank you, Rep. Murt!