HR7002-119

What This Bill Does

The Justice for Exploited Children Act raises penalties for child labor violations under section 16 of the Fair Labor Standards Act. A person who repeatedly or willfully violates the child labor provision in section 15(a)(4) can be fined up to $100,000, imprisoned for up to five years, or both. If a willful violation causes death or serious injury to an employee under age 18, or a repeated violation and a prior violation each caused death or serious injury to a minor employee, the person can be fined up to $500,000, imprisoned for up to ten years, or both. The bill also raises civil penalties: ordinary child labor violations become subject to at least $1,000 and up to $150,000, doubled for repeated or willful violations; serious-injury violations become at least $25,000 and up to $601,150; and fatal violations become at least $50,000 and up to $601,150, also doubled for repeated or willful violations. The amendments apply to violations occurring on or after enactment.

Who Benefits and How

Children and teenagers in workplaces benefit from stronger deterrence against illegal child labor, especially violations that cause serious injury or death. Parents, schools, worker advocates, and labor investigators benefit from higher penalties and criminal exposure for repeat or willful misconduct. The Department of Labor benefits from more forceful civil penalty tools when investigating employers who violate child labor rules.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Employers using underage workers must improve age verification, scheduling, hazardous-occupation controls, training, and supervision or face much larger civil penalties and possible criminal prosecution. Repeat or willful violators, especially those causing serious injury or death, face fines, imprisonment, and doubled penalties. Department of Labor Wage and Hour investigators, federal prosecutors, courts, and defense counsel must handle higher-stakes investigations and cases under the new penalty structure.

Key Provisions

• Creates criminal penalties up to $100,000 and five years imprisonment for repeated or willful child labor violations.
• Creates criminal penalties up to $500,000 and ten years imprisonment for willful or repeated violations causing death or serious injury to a minor employee.
• Raises ordinary child labor civil penalties to at least $1,000 and up to $150,000.
• Raises serious-injury and fatal child labor civil penalties up to $601,150.
• Requires doubled civil penalties for repeated or willful violations.