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The CHILD Labor Act strengthens federal protections against child labor by expanding the definition of oppressive child labor to prohibit anyone under 18 from working in six high-risk industries—manufacturing, mining, trenching, meat processing, demolition, and explosives—while giving the Labor Secretary authority to designate additional hazardous occupations and complete prohibition on employment for children under 14 except by parents or guardians. The bill extends accountability throughout supply chains, holding companies responsible for child labor violations by contractors and subcontractors unless they obtain written assurances and take preventive steps, and provides new enforcement tools including authority to investigate records, issue tags on goods made with child labor, and halt operations with worker compensation. Federal contractors receiving Davis-Bacon and Service Contract Act work must comply with these standards or face liquidated damages of $20 per day per illegally employed child, contract cancellation, and three-year bans from federal contracts, with successor companies held jointly liable for violations. The legislation also requires the Labor Department to establish training and education programs to prevent child labor violations, identify risks, and support victims, and mandates annual data collection and reporting to Congress on work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths among workers. The Labor Secretary must issue detailed regulations within 180 days and review them every five years to keep protections current.

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