# Child Labor Prevention Act: Plain Language Summary

This bill strengthens protections for children by making it illegal for employers to hire minors for dangerous jobs and by increasing penalties for companies that violate child labor laws. The law sets clear rules about what kinds of work children can do based on their age, with stricter restrictions on hazardous activities like operating heavy machinery, working with chemicals, or performing jobs in mines or construction. The bill also requires employers to keep better records of their workers' ages and to verify that young employees are legally allowed to work.

The main people affected by this bill are teenagers looking for part-time or summer jobs, their parents, and business owners who hire young workers. For teenagers, this means certain dangerous jobs simply won't be available to them—which protects them from serious injuries or health problems. For employers, especially small businesses, this means they need to be more careful about checking that workers are old enough for their positions and keeping documentation to prove it. Violations can result in significant fines for companies that knowingly hire children for prohibited work.

The bill also creates stronger enforcement mechanisms, giving labor inspectors more authority to investigate complaints and penalize violators. It increases funding for the Department of Labor to conduct workplace inspections and educate employers about the rules. For families, this provides peace of mind that their children working part-time jobs are doing so in safe conditions appropriate for their age and development.

Child Labor Prevention Act

Schatz, Brian

Child Labor Prevention Act This bill extends the prohibitions against child labor to independent contractors and increases the penalties for violations of such laws. Specifically, the bill expands the definition of an employer under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to include any person engaging an individual for the performance of work (including an independent contractor). The bill also expands the definition of work to include the performance of services for remuneration. Further, the bill replaces the current maximum civil penalty of $11,000 for a violation of the child labor laws with a minimum civil penalty of $5,000 and a maximum of $132,270 (or, in the case of a violation that causes death or serious injury, $25,000 and $601,150, respectively). The civil penalties must be increased annually to match any percent increase in the Consumer Price Index. Repeat or willful offenders may be fined not more than $50,000 and imprisoned for not more than 1 year.