CARE Act of 2025

Bill Number

H.R. 6066

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Labor and Employment

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-11-17: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Last Updated

2025-12-16T09:05:42Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The CARE Act of 2025 aims to protect children under 18 from exploitative and hazardous work, especially in agriculture, by updating the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). It addresses the high risks of injury, illness, death, school dropout, and abuse faced by young farmworkers, while closing loopholes that allow younger children to work in dangerous conditions. The bill emphasizes family farm exemptions but tightens rules for non-family employment to promote health, education, and safety.

Key Provisions

• Redefined "Oppressive Child Labor": Updates the FLSA definition to classify employment of children under 14 as oppressive; for 14-15-year-olds, it must not interfere with school or health; for 16-17-year-olds, it bans hazardous occupations declared by the Secretary of Labor.
• Age Limits for Agricultural Work: Exempts child labor rules only for those under 18 working outside school hours on a parent-owned farm, or under 16 in non-hazardous, non-agricultural family work. Repeals a prior waiver allowing 12-13-year-olds in hand-harvesting crops.
• Higher Civil Penalties: Increases fines for child labor violations to $500-$15,000 per affected minor; $15,000-$60,115 (potentially doubled for repeats or willful acts) if the violation causes serious injury, illness, or death to a minor under 18. Defines "serious illness" as any work-related condition from workplace events or exposures.
• Criminal Penalties: Adds up to 5 years in prison and fines for repeated or willful violations of child labor rules that result in death, serious injury, or serious illness to a minor.
• Annual Reporting to Congress: Requires the Secretary of Labor to analyze data on work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths of children under 18 in agriculture, using sources like the Department of Labor's divisions, state agencies, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Reports must summarize data, evaluate hazards, flag potential violations, and be published in the Federal Register and on the DOL website.
• Employer Reporting: Mandates employers to report serious injuries, illnesses, or deaths of minors under 18 in agriculture within 5 days, including details like worker age, incident specifics (e.g., machinery use, pesticide exposure), and employer info. Failure to report incurs $500-$7,000 fines per violation. Effective 6 months after enactment or sooner with rules.
• Ban on Pesticide Handling: Prohibits children under 18 from "handler" tasks (e.g., mixing, applying, or disposing of pesticides) under federal worker protection standards, with the Secretary of Labor required to update regulations within 30 days of enactment.
• Implementation: The Secretary of Labor must issue rules within 6 months; new rules and penalties apply to violations after they take effect. The act does not override stronger state laws.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Tightened Exemptions: Previously, the FLSA allowed broader exceptions for agricultural child labor, including younger ages (e.g., 12 for harvesting) and longer hours. This bill eliminates the harvesting waiver and restricts non-family farm work for those under 16, aligning agriculture more closely with protections in other industries.
• Enhanced Enforcement: Introduces mandatory employer incident reporting and annual federal data analysis, which were absent before. Civil penalties are substantially raised (e.g., from prior caps of $10,000-$50,000 to higher ranges), and new criminal penalties target severe outcomes.
• Hazard-Specific Bans: Explicitly prohibits minors from pesticide handling, expanding the list of "particularly hazardous" occupations under FLSA regulations.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: Increases workload for the Department of Labor (DOL), including data collection, annual reporting, rulemaking, and enforcement. May require more resources for investigations, especially in agriculture where enforcement has historically been weak.
• On Citizens: Provides stronger safeguards for child farmworkers (often from immigrant or low-income families), potentially reducing injuries (which occur at 4x the rate of other youth jobs), school dropouts, and abuse. Families on small farms retain limited exemptions, but non-family employers face stricter compliance, possibly raising labor costs and food prices.
• On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though it could influence U.S. agricultural trade by improving labor standards, potentially aligning with international child labor conventions (e.g., ILO standards) and reducing criticism of U.S. practices in global forums.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Child Workers: Primary beneficiaries, especially those under 18 in agriculture, gaining protections from hazards like machinery, chemicals, and long hours.
• Agricultural Employers: Farmers, packing houses, and related businesses face new reporting duties, age restrictions, and penalties, particularly non-family operations relying on young labor.
• Parents and Families: Exemptions preserve options for family farm work but limit broader youth employment.
• Government Entities: DOL for enforcement and reporting; state agencies for data sharing; Congress for oversight via annual reports.
• Advocacy Groups: Organizations focused on child rights, farmworker safety, and immigrant labor (e.g., those addressing sexual harassment vulnerabilities) may support or monitor implementation.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Strengthens FLSA's child labor framework without preempting state laws offering greater protections, preserving federalism. The bill's focus on "oppressive" conditions and hazard definitions could lead to more litigation over what constitutes "serious injury" or "willful" violations, with courts interpreting expanded penalties.
• Constitutional: Aligns with the Constitution's commerce clause authority over interstate labor but may face challenges if seen as overregulating family farms (potentially invoking due process or takings claims). No direct free speech or equal protection issues apparent.
• Political: Highlights bipartisan concerns over child exploitation in a key U.S. industry (agriculture employs hundreds of thousands of minors), but could spark debates between labor advocates pushing for safety and agricultural lobbies worried about workforce shortages. The emphasis on data-driven enforcement promotes transparency, potentially influencing future policy on immigrant and poverty-linked labor issues.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-25]

Cosponsors (6)

Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24], Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26], Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7]

Recent Actions

• 2025-11-17: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
• 2025-11-17: Introduced in House
• 2025-11-17: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Children’s Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety of 2025 — issued 2025-11-17 — PDF (13 pages)