US Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Employers Violating Child Labor Laws

bipartisan bill Justice for Exploited Children Act child labor Child Labor in the U.S.

By E.Baloyo , Parent Herald Mar 30, 01:24 am

Photo: (Photo : Scott Olson/ Getty Images)

A new U.S. bipartisan bill has been presented that cracks down with stricter penalties on corporations found to be using illegal child labor practices.

The proposed legislation, named the Justice for Exploited Children Act, comes after the publication of a New York Times article that exposed Hearthside Foods for allegedly employing migrant children who are below the legal working age.

The article made waves as it revealed that these children were subjected to hazardous working conditions at their West Michigan facilities.

Bipartisan bill called the Justice for Exploited Children Act

According to MiBiz, following the release of the New York Times article, US Representative Hillary Scholten has taken steps to combat child labor exploitation.

In February, Scholten helped set up an inter-agency task force, approved by the Biden Administration, that brings together the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor.

The new agency she helped form helped enforce child labor laws and tackle the issue of child exploitation in the workforce, particularly among migrant children.

Scholten, who is a native of Grand Rapids and a mother herself, believes that addressing this issue is her responsibility.

To this end, she has introduced the bipartisan Justice for Exploited Children Act, an emergency response legislation that seeks to raise the civil monetary penalties for companies found violating child labor laws.

Notably, the bill proposes to establish a minimum monetary penalty, which is a first in history. Currently, there is only a maximum fine of $15,138, and no minimum amount is set.

The bipartisan bill proposed in the US seeks to impose a maximum fine of $132,270 and a minimum of $5,000 to serve as a strong deterrent and prevent future exploitation of children in the workforce.

Representative Scholten emphasized that it is crucial to hold accountable employers who engage in exploitative practices.

Child Labor in the U.S.

As reported by Reuters, under current US federal law, individuals under the age of 16 are prohibited from working in most factory settings due to outdated regulations.

Additionally, those under the age of 18 are prohibited from engaging in the most hazardous jobs within industrial plants.

Following recent press investigations, labor experts and policymakers have questioned whether existing enforcement and penalties go far enough to deter employers.

Based on data collected by the Department of Labor, the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs estimates that around 500,000 children work in the agricultural sector in the United States.

Shockingly, some of these children begin working as young as eight years old, and work weeks exceeding 72 hours with more than 10 hours per day are not uncommon.

Agricultural labor is a strenuous and hazardous occupation. Children who work in this industry are regularly exposed to pesticides, which greatly increases their risk of developing cancer.

According to the American Federation of Teachers, an estimated 100,000 child farmworkers suffer from work-related injuries every year and make up 20 percent of farming-related fatalities.

Shockingly, many of these abuses are currently legal under US law. The Fair Labor Standards Act in the US forbids most industries from employing individuals under 14 and limits work hours on school days to a maximum of three until the age of 16.

Hazardous work is prohibited for those under 18 in most sectors. Despite being mostly migrant workers, farmworker children need the same protection as young individuals employed in less dangerous jobs.