Congress Proposes 10-Year Prison Sentences and $600,000 Fines for Child Labor Violations
This bill is currently sitting in the House Committee on Education and Workforce where it was sent in January 2026. No action has been taken on the bill for five months. The committee members must decide whether to move the bill forward for a vote.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 2388 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 2388 (118th) →How this policy affects specific groups of people
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Rep. Hillary Scholten introduced the Justice for Exploited Children Act to significantly increase civil and criminal penalties for child labor violations. The bill comes in response to a 69% increase in children employed illegally in the U.S. since 2018.
The Justice for Exploited Children Act would raise the maximum civil penalty for child labor violations and establish criminal penalties of up to 10 years in prison for violations resulting in death or serious injury, aiming to deter companies from treating fines as a cost of doing business.
The Justice for Exploited Children Act would increase civil money penalties for child labor violations by tenfold. The legislation reflects a growing push in Congress to address the rise of children found working in hazardous industrial and meatpacking jobs.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Justice for Exploited Children Act
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