To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit employment of children in tobacco-related agriculture by deeming such employment as oppressive child labor.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · June 12, 2023
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
This bill would prohibit children under age 18 from working in tobacco farming by amending federal labor law to classify such work as oppressive child labor. Currently, federal law restricts children's work in various dangerous occupations but does not specifically ban tobacco farm work, which exposes young workers to nicotine poisoning, pesticides, and other health hazards. The legislation, introduced by Senators Durbin, Brown, and Blumenthal, would close this gap by preventing minors from having direct contact with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves. The bill does not specify funding requirements or implementation timelines, as it primarily functions as a regulatory change to existing labor standards. This change would affect children currently working on tobacco farms across the United States and the agricultural operations that employ them.
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