Reps. Scholten, McGarvey Lead Congressional Effort to Crack Down on Child Labor Exploitation

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (MI-03), alongside Rep. Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), announced the formation of the Congressional Child Labor Prevention Task Force for the 119th Congress aimed at addressing the alarming rise in child labor violations across the United States. The task force will work to strengthen protections, enhance oversight, and advocate for policy solutions that protect children from exploitation in the workforce.

“Child labor has no place in our country, yet we are seeing a sharp increase in violations, with thousands of children found working in dangerous conditions,” saidRep. Scholten. “Children belong in classrooms, not in dangerous jobs that put them at risk. As members of Congress, we must step up to protect vulnerable children, ensure companies are not profiting off of exploited labor, and hold violators accountable.” 

“It’s a national disgrace that child labor is still a problem in the 21st century. No child should ever be exploited, let alone for the gain of greedy corporations and shareholders,” said Rep. Morgan McGarvey. “I’m proud to co-chair the Child Labor Prevention Task Force with Congresswoman Hillary Scholten as we fight to end child labor in the U.S. and protect our children.”

The Congressional Child Labor Prevention Task Force was established in the 118th Congress and will continue to collaborate with the Department of Labor and other key stakeholders to combat exploitation of minors. The task force will focus on strengthening enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by ensuring federal labor laws are upheld, protecting funding for child labor investigations and oversight programs to support enforcement efforts, advocating for stronger federal and state-level labor protections to prevent further rollbacks, and holding companies accountable for violating child labor laws. Additionally, members of the task force will work to advance legislation that strengthens child labor protections, including increasing penalties for violations. 

The Department of Labor has reported a 31% increase in child labor violations from 2019 to 2024, with 736 cases investigated in the last fiscal year alone. Despite these alarming statistics, enforcement resources have been stretched thin, with just 650 investigators in the Department, the lowest number since 2007.

To make matters worse, several states have recently rolled back child labor protections. Florida lawmakers are advancing legislation to allow children as young as 14 to work overnight shifts, even on school nights. Meanwhile, Indiana has enacted a law permitting 16- and 17-year-olds to work hazardous agricultural jobs. These rollbacks put children at greater risk and undermine federal labor standards designed to protect young workers.

Co-Chairs Scholten and McGarvey sent a letter to Labor Secretary DeRemer to request that the Department of Labor work closely with Congress and the task force to ensure the safety and security of America’s supply chains, places of work, and most importantly, children. 

Current members of the task force include: Reps. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Mark Takano (CA-39), Dina Titus (NV-01), Shri Thanedar (MI-13) and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

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