CARE Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-25]
Introduced
Summary
Strengthening protections for children working in agriculture. The CARE Act of 2025 would tighten age limits for farm jobs, ban under-18 pesticide handlers, require rapid incident reporting, expand federal data collection, and raise penalties for violations.
Show full summary
- Families and children: The bill would narrow who can work in agriculture by restricting 16 and 17-year-olds from jobs the Secretary deems hazardous, limiting 14 and 15-year-olds unless work won't harm schooling or health, and barring employment under age 14. It also directs that anyone under 18 may not perform pesticide handler tasks.
- Employers and farms: Employers would face stricter reporting duties and higher fines for child-labor breaches, with civil penalties reaching into the tens of thousands of dollars per affected child and criminal penalties that can include up to 5 years in prison for repeated or willful violations that cause death or serious harm.
- Federal oversight and safety data: The Department of Labor would be required to collect and analyze annual data from DOL agencies, OSHA, NIOSH, BLS, and states on child agricultural employment and related injuries, and publish reports to Congress, the Federal Register, and the DOL website.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 2 mixed.
5-day reporting of child farm injuries
If enacted, agricultural employers would have to report harms to workers under 18 within 5 days. Employers would need to report a work-related serious injury, the discovery of a serious illness, or a work-related death. Reports must list employer and worker details, the worker’s age, and facts about hazards, equipment, and tasks. The Secretary could fine $500 to $7,000 for each failure to report. This rule would start when the Labor Department issues a rule or 6 months after enactment, whichever comes first.
Higher fines and new child labor crimes
If enacted, employers who break child labor rules would face higher fines. Standard violations would be $500 to $15,000 per affected worker. If a violation causes a child’s serious injury, illness, or death, fines would be $15,000 to $60,115, and could double for willful or repeat cases. “Serious illness” would mean a work-related condition from an event or exposure, presumed work-related if it happened on the employer’s premises. Repeated or willful violations causing serious harm could also bring up to 5 years in prison, a fine, or both.
Tighter rules for kids working on farms
If enacted, fewer minors could work in agriculture. Kids under 18 would be exempt only when they work outside school hours for their parent, on a farm the parent owns. Kids under 16 would be exempt only when working for a parent and not in manufacturing, mining, or jobs the Secretary finds especially hazardous. The bill would also count more jobs as oppressive child labor, covering 16–17 year‑olds in hazardous jobs, most 14–15 year‑old jobs unless approved, and all kids under 14.
No pesticide handling by anyone under 18
If enacted, no one under 18 could be hired as a pesticide handler. The Labor Department would update its rules within 30 days of enactment. The ban would apply to all handler tasks listed in federal pesticide rules.
States keep stronger rules and fast rollout
If enacted, States could keep child labor laws that protect workers more than the federal rules. The Labor Department would have up to 6 months to write the new rules. Those rules would take effect within 30 days after publication. The changes would apply only to violations that happen after the rules take effect.
Annual reports on child farm injuries
If enacted, the Labor Department would track work by children in agriculture and their injuries, illnesses, and deaths. Each year, the Department would report to Congress and post the report online and in the Federal Register. The report would use data from DOL offices, States, and NIOSH, and flag possible child labor violations.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-25]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 12/5/2025
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 12/5/2025
Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24]
FL • D
Sponsored 12/5/2025
Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26]
CA • D
Sponsored 12/5/2025
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 12/5/2025
Rep. Carson, Andre [D-IN-7]
IN • D
Sponsored 12/15/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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