The Children's Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety (CARE Act) strengthens federal child labor protections, primarily targeting agricultural work where hundreds of thousands of children under 18 currently work under hazardous conditions. The bill eliminates special exemptions that have historically allowed children to work in agriculture at younger ages and under more dangerous conditions than permitted in other industries, raising the minimum age for non-family farm agricultural work and prohibiting children under 18 from handling pesticides. It significantly increases civil penalties for child labor violations—ranging from $500-$15,000 per employee and $15,000-$60,115 for violations causing serious injury, illness, or death—and creates new criminal penalties of up to five years imprisonment for repeated or willful violations resulting in death or serious harm to young workers. The bill also establishes new employer reporting requirements, mandating that agricultural employers report work-related serious injuries, illnesses, or deaths of workers under 18 within five days, and requires the Secretary of Labor to submit annual reports to Congress on child labor incidents and safety hazards in agriculture. Implementation rules must be finalized within six months of the bill's enactment, with employer reporting requirements taking effect either when those rules are issued or six months after passage, whichever comes first.
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