CHILD Labor Act: New Rules and Penalties for Child Labor
A senate committee must act next: committee consideration.
While child labor is a major concern, the bill's high fines and supply chain rules face strong opposition from business groups and Republican lawmakers.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Companies and their contractors now face much higher civil penalties (up to $160,350 per violation, doubled for repeat or severe cases), new lawsuits from victims, stop-work orders, and a requirement to vet every subcontractor and supplier in their chain. Federal contractors also face a three-year ban from new government work if caught violating the rules, adding compliance costs especially for smaller firms with multi-tier supply chains.
“$160,350 for each employee who was the subject of such a violation, which penalty may be doubled in the case of a violation described in subparagraph (C)”
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
The Biden administration and members of Congress are targeting a surge in child labor with new enforcement measures. Proposed legislation like the CHILD Labor Act would increase maximum civil money penalties and expand the 'hot goods' provision to stop the shipment of illegally produced items.
This investigative report uncovered widespread illegal child labor in supply chains for major brands. It served as the primary catalyst for the CHILD Labor Act, which aims to close legal loopholes that allow large companies to evade responsibility for labor violations committed by subcontractors.
Lawmakers introduced the CHILD Labor Act to address the 'fissured' workplace where brands hide behind staffing agencies. The bill increases standard fines to over $150,000 and establishes secondary liability for manufacturers whose suppliers use oppressive child labor.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
CHILD Labor Act
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