Federal CARE Act Reintroduced to Strengthen Child Labor Protections in Agriculture

In late November, Congressman Raul Ruiz, a California member of the U.S. House of Representatives, reintroduced the federal Children’s Act for Responsible Employment, or CARE Act, which would extend the child labor protections used in all other industries to children working in agriculture. Current federal law allows minors as young as 12 to work in agricultural settings for longer periods of time than would be permitted in non-agricultural jobs and to perform tasks that are classified as hazardous.

The CARE Act would align age requirements, work hour rules, and hazardous task restrictions for agricultural jobs with those in other sectors. It would also strengthen enforcement and expand federal data collection on youth injuries and fatalities. Ruiz noted that a child dies in an agriculture-related incident about every three days and said stronger protections are needed.

Supporters including the Child Labor Coalition, the National Consumers League, and Human Rights Watch emphasized that agricultural work exposes minors to significant risks. They argue that closing longstanding exemptions is necessary to safeguard children’s health and reduce preventable injuries and deaths in farm labor.