Justice for Exploited Children Act
Sponsored By: Representative Scholten
Introduced
Summary
Strengthens criminal and civil penalties for child labor violations. This bill would boost fines and prison terms and create mandatory penalties when minors suffer death or serious injury.
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- Children and families: The bill focuses on deterring dangerous child labor by increasing criminal penalties, including fines up to $500,000 and prison terms up to 10 years for willful or fatal violations.
- Employers: Civil penalties become a tiered schedule applied per violation, typically $1,000–$150,000 and doubled for repeated or willful offenses. Death-related civil fines run $50,000–$601,150 per violation and are doubled for repeated or willful violations.
- Regulators and courts: The bill requires mandatory application of certain death-related penalties, clarifies statutory cross-references, and makes penalties explicitly apply on a per-violation basis.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
New criminal penalties for child labor
If enacted, the bill would add criminal penalties for repeated or willful child labor violations. Conviction for a repeated or willful violation would carry a fine up to $100,000, or up to 5 years in prison, or both. A larger penalty would apply if the violation was willful and caused death or serious injury to an employee under 18, or if repeated violations each caused such harm: fine up to $500,000, or up to 10 years in prison, or both. These criminal penalties would apply to offenses on or after the date of enactment and take effect upon conviction.
Higher civil fines for child labor
If enacted, the bill would raise civil fines for violations of child labor rules. General fines would be $1,000 to $150,000 per violation. Those fines would be doubled for repeated or willful violations. A higher-tier fine would be $25,000 to $601,150 per violation and would apply as written in the bill. If a violation causes the death of a worker under 18, fines would be $50,000 to $601,150 per violation, doubled for repeated or willful violations. These civil penalties would apply to violations on or after the date of enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Scholten
MI • D
Cosponsors
Mackenzie
PA • R
Sponsored 1/9/2026
Goldman (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 1/9/2026
Thanedar
MI • D
Sponsored 1/9/2026
Landsman
OH • D
Sponsored 1/9/2026
Krishnamoorthi
IL • D
Sponsored 1/9/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 1/9/2026
Titus
NV • D
Sponsored 1/9/2026
McGarvey
KY • D
Sponsored 1/12/2026
Fitzpatrick
PA • R
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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