Congresswoman Scholten Introduces Justice for Exploited Children Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Hillary Scholten reintroduced her bipartisan Justice for Exploited Children Act alongside Congressman Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07). This legislation would increase both civil and criminal penalties for companies that violate child labor standards established in the Fair Labor Standards Act. Under current law, penalties for child labor violations are as low as $10,000 in some cases – and the maximum prison sentence is 6 months, even if violations result in the death or serious injury of a child. The Justice for Exploited Children Act would update these penalties, incentivizing companies to monitor the quality of their supply chains. By instituting a wider range of penalties and doubling certain fines upon repeated or willful violation, this bill allows for nuance in each instance of violation, acknowledging that many businesses are initially unaware of the presence of child laborers in their workforce and supply chains.
Child labor violations are on the rise at a staggering rate. Across the United States, the Department of Labor noted a 31% increase in child labor violations from 2019-2024, resulting in the illegal employment of over 4,000 children in 2024. In 2023, the New York Times published a story documenting illegal child labor practices taking place across the country, including in West Michigan. Congresswoman Scholten introduced the Justice for Exploited Children Act in the 118th Congress in response to these disturbing revelations. The bill now includes additional penalties for child labor violations, creating stronger protections for children.
“As a mom and a lawmaker, protecting children is my top priority,” said Rep. Scholten. “With child labor exploitation on a staggering rise, this legislation would bring accountability to an ever-changing business landscape while protecting our most vulnerable children. For too many employers, paying a petty fine for exploiting children is the cost of doing business. This won’t stand. This is a commonsense piece of legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to join me to get it passed.”
“As a father of two and as Chairman of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, I know that children’s safety depends on strong, modern legal protections against exploitation by businesses,” said Congressman Mackenzie. “I’m proud to work with Congresswoman Scholten on this bipartisan legislation to update outdated and insufficient penalties—ensuring that exploiters are deterred and held accountable. No child should ever be put in harm’s way because our laws are outdated or ineffective, which is why this legislation will give children the robust legal protections that they deserve.”
“The Child Labor Coalition and the National Consumers League both welcome—and endorse—Rep. Scholten’s and Rep. Mackenzie’s Justice for Exploited Children Act with its significantly increased child labor fines,” said Reid Maki, director of child labor advocacy for the National Consumers League and coordinator of the Child Labor Coalition. “Just three years ago, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division cited low fine levels as an obstacle to its efforts to root out hazardous child labor out in meatpacking factories. It has been clear that current child labor fine levels are not sufficient to elicit the compliance of large corporations, with annual revenues of hundreds of millions of dollars or more. Fines must be significantly higher if we are to protect our children from dangerous workplaces.”
"Our laws should protect children. It’s that simple. For far too long, the fines corporations pay for exploiting child labor have been way too low to meaningfully protect kids and serve as a real deterrent for the worst employers. The Justice for Exploited Children Act is an important first step in changing this, and AFT urges Congress to pass it right away," said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers.
Rep. Scholten is a founding member and co-chair of the Child Labor Prevention Task Force, which is focused on uplifting the issue of child labor in Congress. Rep. Mackenzie is the Chairman of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee within the Committee on Education and Workforce.
Endorsing organizations include the Child Labor Coalition, Campaign to End US Child Labor, Human Rights Watch, National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, Economic Policy Institute, First Focus Campaign for Children, Global March Against Child Labor, Green America, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, National Consumers League, and the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health.
Original cosponsors of this legislation include: Rep. Dan Goldman (NY-10), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Dina Titus (NV-01)