Child Labor Coalition Applauds Senator Luján’s Reintroduction of the CARE Act
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, reintroduced the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment in Agriculture (CARE) Act to ensure child protections and safety standards for children in the agricultural workforce. This legislation is endorsed by the Child Labor Coalition (CLC).
“Children have their whole futures ahead of them, and our country must do more to protect those working in the agriculture industry,” said Senator Luján. “Across the country, thousands of children work under hazardous conditions in the agriculture sector, putting their health and education at risk. That’s why I’m reintroducing the CARE Act to raise the standard and bring our agricultural labor laws in line with other industries to better protect children and improve their working conditions.”
The CARE Act takes steps to improve child worker safety by adjusting the age and work hour standards for children in agriculture to the standards for children working in all other industries. Among its other provisions, the bill would also increase the civil and criminal monetary penalties for child labor violations and provide children with greater protection against pesticide exposure.
“Our nation has a moral duty to protect every working child,” said CLC Chair Sally Greenberg. “Farmworkers remain among the most exploited and unprotected workers in America. Children deserve safe working conditions and the same rights afforded to young workers in every other industry. Updating these antiquated laws is long overdue.”
Full text of the bill can be found here.
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About the Child Labor Coalition
The Child Labor Coalition is a leading alliance of 38 labor, human rights, consumer, faith-based, and child advocacy organizations working to eradicate child labor in the United States and around the world. Together, coalition members advance policies and partnerships that protect children from exploitation and promote opportunities for every child to thrive.
