While dealing with various pressing issues, the U.S. Congress addresses a disturbing problem – a 69% surge in child labor law violations since 2018.

Senator Bob Casey, chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee on Children and Families, is introducing the "Children Harmed in Life-Threatening or Dangerous Labor Act" (CHILD Labor Act). This legislation aims to update outdated child labor laws and impose stricter penalties on those violating them, including contractors and subcontractors employing children.

Casey's bill seeks to enhance the 85-year-old Fair Labor Standards Act, which forbids children under 18 from engaging in hazardous jobs and mandates child labor regulations.

"The time has come to modernize our child labor laws and hold employers, contractors, and subcontractors who violate them accountable," said Casey.

The Department of Labor reported a 69% rise in children employed illegally by companies since 2018, with an 88% increase in violations found during investigations in 2023. In fiscal year 2023, over 5,800 children were found to be employed illegally, resulting in more than $8 million in penalties, an 83% increase from the previous year. Violations include injuries and even fatalities, along with children working overnight shifts that breach the Federal Labor Standards Act.

"Children do not belong in factories or working when they should be studying, spending time with their families, or simply being children," emphasized Casey.

Senators Patty Murray, John Fetterman, Ron Wyden, Tina Smith, Alex Padilla, Bernie Sanders, Tammy Baldwin, Chris Murphy, Ed Markey, Jack Reed, and Sherrod Brown have co-sponsored Casey's bill, aiming to hold those exploiting child labor accountable.

Another bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Brian Schatz and Todd Young focuses on increasing penalties for child labor law violations. The CHILD Labor Act includes provisions to hold contractors and subcontractors equally responsible for child labor violations, label goods produced with child labor, and report annual data on work-related injuries and illnesses. It also raises civil penalties from $11,000 to $151,380 per child and increases the maximum fine for criminal penalties from $10,000 to $750,000, making those who violate child labor provisions liable for compensatory damages of at least $75,000 for each affected employee. Photo by JessicaRodriguezRivas, Wikimedia commons.