CARE Act of 2017

Children's Act for Responsible Employment of 2017 or the CARE Act of 2017

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to redefine "oppressive child labor," for purposes of the Act's child labor prohibitions, as the employment of any employee who is:

• 16 or 17 years of age in any occupation found by the Department of Labor to be particularly hazardous or detrimental to such employee's health or well-being;
• 14 or 15 years of age, unless the employment is confined to periods which do not interfere with the employee's schooling, health, and well-being; or
• under age 14.

The bill revises exemptions for child agricultural employment.

The bill increases civil penalties for child labor violations and imposes new criminal penalties for repeated or willful violations of child labor prohibitions that result in serious illness or injury of an employee under age 18.

Labor shall revise regulations to prohibit the employment of children under age 18 in duties involving the handling of pesticides.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov