House Votes to Increase Penalties against Employers that Violate Child Labor Laws

Thursday, May 1, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC -- Employers in the U.S. that violate child labor laws will face stiffer fines under legislation given final approval today by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Child Labor Protection Act, first introduced in 2007 by U.S. Reps. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and Joe Wilson (R-SC), increases penalties from $11,000 to $50,000 for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act that cause the death or serious injury of a child.

“We have a lot of work to do to strengthen our child labor laws to ensure that no children are exploited or put in harm’s way in the workplace, and this bill is a good first step,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee.

“Children are among the most vulnerable members of our society, and we must do everything in our power to ensure that they are safe at work,” said Woolsey, chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. “We have a lot of work left to do to strengthen our child labor laws, but this bill is an important beginning.”

Under the legislation, it is still up to the U.S. Department of Labor to determine if a violation has occurred and to assess the appropriate fine for the violation. The legislation allows the Labor Department to double these fines if the violations that caused the death or serious injury were repeated or willful. The legislation also makes it clear that the Department can charge a fine of up to $50,000 for each violation of the law – not just each case of death or injury. If multiple violations led to the death or injury, then each violation could be fined separately. 

The Fair Labor Standards Act includes provisions intended to ensure that children are not exploited or endangered at work. It prohibits children from working in hazardous occupations, such as operating heavy machinery. It also puts limits on the number of hours that children may work each day and each week.  

The legislation now goes to the President’s desk for his signature. The President supports the legislation and is expected to sign it.

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