Fourteen states have proposed measures to address weak and outdated child labor laws in 2024 alone : Map of state legislation strengthening child labor protections, 2021–2024
| State | Bill status | Bill status indicator | Workers’ rights education | Workers’ rights education indicator | Child performers | Child performers indicator | Enforcement | Enforcement indicator | Hazardous work | Hazardous work indicator | Work hours | Work hours indicator | Subminimum wage | Subminimum wage indicator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | ||||||||||||||
| Alaska | ||||||||||||||
| Arizona | Introduced | 2 | HB 2564 (2024): Protects child performers, requires parents to set up trust in their name and deposit a share of earnings into it | 2 | ||||||||||
| Arkansas | Enacted | 5 | SB 390 (2023): Increases penalties for child labor violations; extends statute of limitations for penalty assessment from 2 to 3 years — enacted | 3 | ||||||||||
| California | Enacted* | 5 | AB 800 (2023): Establishes Workplace Readiness Week to educate high school students about their workplace rights — enacted | 1 | SB 764 (2024): Requires parents to set aside earnings for children featured in monetized social media videos, maintain records related to their earnings, and share them with the minor. Minors not properly compensated can enforce provisions in court — passed Senate | 2 | AB 1228 (2023): Bill would have established joint liability for fast food franchises but these provisions were amended before passage — enacted | 3 | ||||||
| Colorado | Enacted* | 5 | HB 1196 (2023): Allows injured victims of illegal child labor to sue for damages — enacted; HB 1095 (2024): Increases penalties (and uses them for wage theft enforcement), allows aggrieved children to sue for damages, makes violations subject to open records requests — introduced | 3 | ||||||||||
| Connecticut | ||||||||||||||
| Delaware | ||||||||||||||
| Washington D.C. | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | ||||||||||||||
| Georgia | Introduced | 2 | HB 838 (2024): Requires parents to set up a trust for child performers and deposit a share of earnings into it | 2 | ||||||||||
| Hawaii | Introduced | 2 | SB 1607 (2023): Requires talent agencies and minors working in theatrical employment to receive training on sexual harassment and nutrition and eating disorders | 2 | ||||||||||
| Idaho | ||||||||||||||
| Illinois | Enacted* | 5 | HB 4417 (2024): Establishes Workplace Readiness Week to educate high school students about their workplace rights — in committee | 1 | SB 1782 (2023): Requires parents to set aside earnings for children featured in monetized social media videos, allows child to take legal action if not properly compensated — enacted | 2 | ||||||||
| Indiana | ||||||||||||||
| Iowa | Pending | 4 | SF 2100 (2024): Makes illegally employed minors injured or killed at work eligible for extra worker’s comp, imposes $5000 civil penalty on employer — introduced | 3 | ||||||||||
| Kansas | ||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | ||||||||||||||
| Louisiana | ||||||||||||||
| Maine | ||||||||||||||
| Maryland | Pending | 4 | HB 160 (2024): Establishes Workplace Readiness Week to educate high school students about their workplace rights — in committee | 1 | ||||||||||
| Massachusetts | ||||||||||||||
| Michigan | Pending | 4 | HB 4932 (2023): Eliminates waiver for night work among 16-17 year-olds; increases criminal penalties; allows victims to sue for damages; adds retaliation protections — in committee | 3 | HB 4932 (2023):Eliminates waiver for night work among 16-17 year-olds — in committee | 5 | ||||||||
| Minnesota | ||||||||||||||
| Mississippi | ||||||||||||||
| Missouri | Pending | 4 | HB 1998 (2024): Requires parents to set aside earnings for children featured in monetized social media videos, maintain records related to their earnings, and share them with the minor. Minors not properly compensated can enforce provisions in court — in committee | 2 | HB 1536 (2024): Restricts work hours for 16-17 year-olds — in committee | 5 | ||||||||
| Montana | Enacted | 5 | HB 112 (2023): Establishes criminal penalties for labor trafficking of a minor — enacted | 3 | ||||||||||
| Nebraska | Pending | 4 | 1 | LB 827 (2024): Expanded workplace protections for child performers — in committee | 2 | LB 906 (2023): Increases penalties for child labor violations and broadens DOL power — in committee | 3 | |||||||
| Nevada | ||||||||||||||
| New Hampshire | ||||||||||||||
| New Jersey | Mixed | 3 | S 3717 (2023): Establishes Workplace Readiness Week to educate high school students about their workplace rights — failed | 1 | S 4067/A 5690 (2023): Eliminates exemptions that allow minors to be paid less than minimum wage, makes minors eligible for overtime — failed; A 2888 (2024): Eliminates exemptions that allow minors to be paid less than minimum wage, makes minors eligible for overtime — introduced | 6 | ||||||||
| New Mexico | ||||||||||||||
| New York | Mixed | 3 | A 8108 (2023): Establishes Workplace Readiness Week to educate high school students about their workplace rights — in committee | 1 | A 9235 (2022): Establishes new penalties for violations of oppressive agricultural child labor — failed | 3 | A 9235 (2022): Increases the minimum age for farm work from 12 to 16 years of age — failed | 4 | ||||||
| North Carolina | ||||||||||||||
| North Dakota | ||||||||||||||
| Ohio | Pending | 4 | H 376 (2024): Requires parents to set aside earnings for children featured in monetized social media videos, maintain records related to their earnings, and share them with the minor. Minors not properly compensated can enforce provisions in court — in committee | 2 | ||||||||||
| Oklahoma | ||||||||||||||
| Oregon | ||||||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | Pending | 4 | 2 | HB 1354 (2023): Increases criminal penalties for first and repeat violations — passed House; HB 1714 (2023: Increases criminal penalties but requires reporting on violations and enforcement to ICE and HHS — in committee | 3 | |||||||||
| Rhode Island | Pending | 4 | H 7019 (2024): Establishes Workplace Readiness Week to educate high school students about their workplace rights — in committee | 1 | H 7172 (2024): Eliminates provision allowing some minors to be paid a subminimum wage — in committee | 6 | ||||||||
| South Carolina | ||||||||||||||
| South Dakota | ||||||||||||||
| Tennessee | ||||||||||||||
| Texas | Enacted | 5 | HB 2459 (2023): Increases maximum penalty for child labor violations — enacted | 3 | ||||||||||
| Utah | ||||||||||||||
| Vermont | ||||||||||||||
| Virginia | Mixed | 3 | HB 100 (2024): Increases civil penalties for child labor violations; sets minimum penalty — passed House | 3 | HB 876 (2022): Bans child labor on tobacco farms — failed | 4 | ||||||||
| Washington | ||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | ||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | ||||||||||||||
| Wyoming |
Notes: "Enacted*" indicates that a state has enacted a bill, but other bills in that state have failed or are pending legislative action. "Mixed" indicates that a state has multiple bills at different stages of the legislative process, but none have been enacted.
Source: EPI analysis of state legislative activity and news related to child labor legislation.