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.

Pending Legislation: H.R.4046 - Children’s Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety of 202 or CARE Act of 2023
Sponsor: Rep. Raul Ruiz (CA)
Status: House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Chair: Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC)

I oppose reforming current child farmworker policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Speaker Mike Johnson (LA).
I support amending the Fair Labor Standards Act to limit the agricultural exceptions in the child labor provisions by: 1.) Limiting the employment of children under the age of eighteen to only those farms owned by their parent(s) or a person standing in the place of the parent(s). 2.) Prohibiting anyone under sixteen from employment that is deemed hazardous or detrimental to the health or well-being of the child by the Secretary of Labor. 3.) Eliminating the current process of allowing employers to apply for a waiver to temporarily employ children between the ages of ten and twelve as hand harvest laborers. 4.) Increasing penalties for employers that violate the child labor provisions and impose additional injury reporting requirements on employers. And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.

Winning Option »» I support amending the Fair Labor Standards Act to limit the agricultural exceptions in the child labor provisions by: 1.) Limiting the employment of children under the age of eighteen to only those farms owned by their parent(s) or a person standing in the place of the parent(s). 2.) Prohibiting anyone under sixteen from employment that is deemed hazardous or detrimental to the health or well-being of the child by the Secretary of Labor. 3.) Eliminating the current process of allowing employers to apply for a waiver to temporarily employ children between the ages of ten and twelve as hand harvest laborers. 4.) Increasing penalties for employers that violate the child labor provisions and impose additional injury reporting requirements on employers. And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.