Democracy Rules

Child farmworkers are exempted from most federal labor laws that regulate the employment of children in nearly all other industries. Most 12-year olds are not permitted to work more than 3 hours on a school day but children who work on farms can work unlimited hours before and after school. Between 300,000 and 800,000 minors are now working for a living in our agriculture industry. Many are members of families that need help providing for them.

More children are injured and killed while working on farms than any other job. Each year, about 33,000 children are injured and more than 100 die while working with dangerous farm tools and heavy equipment. Some of these children work from 10 to 12 hours in sweltering heat, with little water or no access to restrooms. Some are also exposed to large doses of pesticides which may cause cancer or damage their reproductive and nervous systems. Nearly half of these children are never able to finish high school. Child advocates claim this exploitation will continue as long as these conditions are legal.

Proposed Legislation: Reintroduction of H.R.3394 - Children's Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety of 2019
Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Barbara Lee (CA)

I oppose reforming current child farmworker policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (CA).
I support revising labor laws for protecting child workers employed in agriculture, increasing civil penalties for violations of such laws, and imposing new criminal penalties for violations resulting in the death, serious injury or illness of a child worker by: 1.) Revising the definition of oppressive child labor to prohibit the employment of children under 14 years of age. 2.) Imposing new employer reporting requirements for work-related injuries or deaths of agricultural employees under the age of 18. 3.) Analyzing, collecting, and reporting on data concerning children under the age of 18 who are employed in agriculture and each work-related injury, illness, or death of any such child. 4.) Prohibiting the employment of a child under the age of 18 as a pesticide handler. And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Barbara Lee (CA) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.

Winning Option »» I support revising labor laws for protecting child workers employed in agriculture, increasing civil penalties for violations of such laws, and imposing new criminal penalties for violations resulting in the death, serious injury or illness of a child worker by: 1.) Revising the definition of oppressive child labor to prohibit the employment of children under 14 years of age. 2.) Imposing new employer reporting requirements for work-related injuries or deaths of agricultural employees under the age of 18. 3.) Analyzing, collecting, and reporting on data concerning children under the age of 18 who are employed in agriculture and each work-related injury, illness, or death of any such child. 4.) Prohibiting the employment of a child under the age of 18 as a pesticide handler. And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Barbara Lee (CA) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.