The CARE Act of 2023 strengthens federal protections for child farmworkers by amending labor laws to restrict agricultural work by minors and increase enforcement. The bill raises the minimum age for most agricultural work from 14 to 16 years old, while children under 18 can only work on family farms outside school hours, and eliminates existing exemptions that allowed younger children to perform hazardous farm tasks like hand harvesting. It significantly increases civil penalties for child labor violations, ranging from $500 to $15,000 per affected employee, with penalties up to $60,115 for violations causing serious injury, illness, or death, and creates new criminal penalties of up to 5 years imprisonment for repeated or willful violations resulting in a child's death or serious injury. The bill also prohibits anyone under 18 from working as a pesticide handler and requires employers to report work-related serious injuries, illnesses, or deaths of child farmworkers within 5 days. The Secretary of Labor must issue implementing regulations within 6 months and submit annual reports to Congress on child agricultural worker injuries and fatalities.
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