Washington, DC - Today, Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) introduced a bill to strengthen federal penalties for employers who illegally employ children in dangerous occupations.   Braley's bill, the Child Labor Safety Act, would increase the federal penalties for employers who violate existing child labor laws by employing children in hazardous occupations. 

"Yesterday's charges against Agriprocessors emphasize the need to protect our children against unsafe and illegal working conditions," Braley said.  "When employers purposefully break the law by hiring children for dangerous jobs, they put our children's lives and safety at risk.  The current, low federal penalties must be increased to deter future child labor violations." 

Yesterday, Iowa Attorney General Miller filed charges against the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa, charging them with over 9,000 violations of child labor laws.  The U.S. Department of Labor is also conducting an ongoing investigation of Agriprocessors for violations of federal child labor laws. 

Under current federal law, employers who hire children for hazardous occupations face a maximum criminal fine of $10,000 and a maximum civil fine of $11,000 - $50,000.  Employers who knowingly hire children for dangerous occupations are not eligible for jail time on a first offense.  The Child Labor Safety Act would increase the maximum federal criminal penalty to $50,000 and the maximum civil penalty to $50,000 - $100,000.  First offenders would also be eligible for up to 6 months in jail per employee under Braley's bill.

A copy of the Child Labor Safety Act is attached.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Mr. BRALEY of Iowa introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on _______

A BILL

To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase

the penalty for certain child labor violations.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2

tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Child Labor Safety

5 Act''.

6 SEC. 2. PENALTY FOR OPPRESSIVE CHILD LABOR VIOLATIONS.

8 Section 16 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938

9 (15 U.S.C. 215) is amended-

1 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘No person''

2 and inserting ‘‘Any person who willfully violates the

3 provisions of sections 12 or 13(c), or any regulation

4 issued under such sections, shall upon conviction

5 thereof be subject to a fine of not more than

6 $50,000, or to imprisonment for not more than 6

7 months for each employee who was the subject of

8 such a violation, or both. Except for a violation of

9 section 12 or section 13(c), no person''; and

10 (2) in subsection (e)(1)(A)-

11 (A) by striking ‘‘$11,000'' in clause (i) and

12 inserting ‘‘$50,000''; and

13 (B) by striking ‘‘$50,000'' in clause (ii)

14 and inserting ‘‘$100,000''.