Child labor remains a key state legislative issue in 2024
State lawmakers must seize opportunities to strengthen standards, resist ongoing attacks on child labor laws | Read the Blog
Figure A
Thirty states have introduced bills to weaken child labor protections since 2021: Map of state legislation rolling back child labor protections, 2021–2024
| State | Bill status | Bill status indicator | Select bill supporters | Work permit details | Work permit indicator | Hours | Hours indicator | Alcohol Service | Alcohol service indicator | Hazardous work | Hazardous work indicator | Subminimum wage | Subminimum wage indicator | Other | Other indicator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Enacted* | 5 | SB 53 (2024): Eliminates work permit requirement for 14-15 year-olds — passed Senate | 1 | HB 176 (2022): Lowers age to serve alcohol from 21 to 18 | 3 | |||||||||
| Alaska | |||||||||||||||
| Arizona | Failed | 1 | HB 2727 (2021): Establishes a subminimum wage of $8.50 for student employees — failed | 5 | |||||||||||
| Arkansas | Enacted | 5 | HB 1410 (2023): Drafted by the Foundation for Government Accountability | HB 1410 (2023): Eliminates age verification and parent/guardian permission requirements | 1 | ||||||||||
| California | |||||||||||||||
| Colorado | |||||||||||||||
| Connecticut | |||||||||||||||
| Delaware | |||||||||||||||
| Washington D.C. | |||||||||||||||
| Florida | Pending | 4 | HB 49 (2024): Drafted by the Foundation for Government Accountability; SB 460 (2024): Drafted by the Associated Builders and Contractors and Florida Home Builders Association | HB 49/SB 1596 (2024): Eliminates hours restrictions for 16-17 year-olds during the school year — passed House | 2 | SB 460/HB 917 (2024): Expands hazardous work for 16-17 year-olds on or near roofs in violation of federal hazardous occupation order (roofing provision amended out but bill still expands hazardous work in residential construction) — HB 917 passed House and Senate | 4 | ||||||||
| Georgia | Failed | 1 | HB 501 (2023): Eliminates work permits — did not cross over in 2024 | 1 | HB 501 (2023): Allows 14 year-olds to do hazardous work in landscaping on grounds of factories and other prohibited workplaces — did not cross over in 2024 | 4 | |||||||||
| Hawaii | |||||||||||||||
| Idaho | Mixed | 3 | S 1300 (2024): Repeals hours restrictions for minors under 16 — introduced | 2 | SD 1308 (2022): Lowers the minimum age to serve alcohol from 19 to 17 — failed | 3 | S 1300 (2024): Repeals prohibition on hazardous work for children under 14 — introduced | 4 | S 1300 (2024): Repeals penalties for child labor violations — introduced | 6 | |||||
| Illinois | Mixed | 3 | SB 1996 (2023): Illinois Manufacturers’ Association; Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce | HB 1258 (2023): Reduces hours per week but removes limit of 8 hours per day for minors under 16 — introduced | 2 | SB 1996 (2023): Expand manufacturing apprenticeships to 16-17 year-olds — passed Senate; HB 4285 (2023): Expands permitted work for minors under 16 in otherwise prohibited workplaces — in committee | 4 | ||||||||
| Indiana | Enacted* | 5 | SB 146 (2024): Indiana Restaurant and Lodging Association | SB 146 (2024): Increases maximum hours for minors under 16 in violation of federal law (amended out), lowers the age to serve alcohol, establishes employer civil immunity when a minor is injured or killed while employed in a work-based learning program (amended out) — enacted; HB 1093 (2024): Extends hours for minors 14-15 between June 1 and Labor Day and eliminates certain night work restrictions; Eliminates all hours restrictions for minors 16-17 — enacted | 2 | SB 146 (2024): Lowers the age to serve alcohol from 19 to 18 — passed Senate and House | 3 | HB 1189 (2022): Allows exempted minors to work on farms during school hours — failed; SB 146 (2024): Establishes employer civil immunity when a minor is injured or killed while employed in a work-based learning program (amended out) — enacted; HB 1093 (2024): Eliminates hazardous work protections for 16-17 year-olds working on farms — enacted | 4 | HB 1093 (2024): Establishes exemptions to child labor protections for certain FLSA-exempt occupations and expands exemptions for minors who work for their parents — enacted | 6 | ||||
| Iowa | Enacted* | 5 | SF 2190 (2022): Iowa Restaurant Association; HF 2198 (2022): Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce; SF 542 (2023): Americans for Prosperity, Home Builders Association of Iowa, Iowa National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Iowa Hotel and Lodging Association, Iowa Restaurant Association, Opportunity Solutions Project (Foundation for Government Accountability); HF 2056 (2024): Americans for Prosperity; SF 2109 (2024): Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Iowa Hotel & Lodging Association, Iowa Restaurant Association | SF 542 (2023): Eliminates work permits — enacted | 1 | SF 542 (2023): Extends work hours — enacted | 2 | SF 542 (2023): Lowers age for alcohol service in restaurants — enacted | 3 | SF 1290 (2022): Allows minors to operate power-driven pizza dough rollers in violation of federal law — enacted; SF 542 (2023): Lifts restrictions on hazardous work, limits state agencies’ ability to impose penalties for future employer violations — enacted | 4 | HF 2198 (2022): Lowers minimum age of child care workers; increases staff-to-child ratios — enacted; HF 2305 (2024): Lowers minimum age in child care settings again — passed House; SF 2019 (2024): Allows 14 year-olds to drive up to 25 miles to work — in committee | 6 | ||
| Kansas | |||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | Enacted* | 5 | HB 255 (2024): Foundation for Government Accountability | HB 255 (2024): Eliminates all hours restrictions for 16-17 year-olds — passed House | 2 | HB 252 (2022): Lowers the age to serve alcohol from 20 to 18 — enacted | 3 | HB 255 (2024): Allows minors under 16 to do hazardous work prohibited under federal law — passed House | 4 | SB 128 (2024): Allows nonprofits to hire 12-13 year-olds in “work programs” — in committee | 6 | ||||
| Louisiana | Introduced | 2 | SB 109 (2024): Repeals a law that mandates meal breaks for minors after five hours of work | 6 | |||||||||||
| Maine | Failed | 1 | LD 559 (2023): Maine Tourism Association, Maine Chamber of Commerce | LD 559 (2023): Extends work hours for some youth during the school year — failed | 2 | LD 1332 (2023): Establishes a youth subminimum wage — failed | 5 | ||||||||
| Maryland | |||||||||||||||
| Massachusetts | Pending | 4 | S 1168 (2023): Establishes a training wage for minors who work fewer than 20 hours per week — in committee | 5 | H 1852 (2023): Allows 12-13 year-olds to serve as youth soccer referees — in committee | 6 | |||||||||
| Michigan | Enacted | 5 | HB 5696 and HB 5726 (2022): Lowers age to work at liquor stores; HB 4232 (2022): Lowers age to serve alcohol | 3 | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | Mixed | 3 | SF 1102 (2023): Extends work hours — introduced | 2 | SF 3054 (2022): Increases the maximum alcohol by volume of alcoholic beverages served by an establishment employing minors — failed | 3 | SF 375 (2023): Lifts restrictions on hazardous work — in committee; SF 3176 (2023): Lifts restrictions on hazardous work in long-term care settings — in committee; SF 3240 (2023): Lifts restrictions on hazardous work in construction — in committee | 4 | |||||||
| Mississippi | |||||||||||||||
| Missouri | Pending | 4 | SB 175 (2023) and SB 1057 (2024): Drafted by Foundation for Government Accountability | SB 175 (2023): Eliminates work permits — failed; SB 1057 / HB 2271 (2024): Eliminates work permits — in committee | 1 | ||||||||||
| Montana | |||||||||||||||
| Nebraska | Pending | 4 | LB 15 (2023): Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Nebraska Grocery Industry Association | LB 15 (2023): Establishes youth subminimum wage — in committee | 5 | ||||||||||
| Nevada | |||||||||||||||
| New Hampshire | Enacted* | 5 | SB 345 (2022): New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, New Hampshire Liquor Commission | SB 345 (2022): Extends work hours; HB 1519 (2023): Extends work hours for minors when school is in session — in committee | 2 | SB 345 (2022): Lowers age to bus tables where alcohol is served — enacted | 3 | HB 57 (2023): Establishes a subminimum wage of $8 for minors for the first 6 months of employment — failed | 5 | ||||||
| New Jersey | Enacted* | 5 | A 4222 (2022): New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Business and Industry Association | A 4222 (2022): Extends work hours and increases time before break — enacted; S 1282/A 2474 (2022): Extends hours for 14-15 YOs to 11 pm between Memorial Day and October 1 — failed; S 494 (2024): Extends hours for 14-15 YOs to 11 pm between Memorial Day and October 1 — introduced | 2 | ||||||||||
| New Mexico | Enacted | 5 | HB 255 (2021): Lowers the minimum age for alcohol service from 19 to 18 — enacted | 3 | |||||||||||
| New York | Pending | 4 | A 1798 (2023): Allows 14-15 YOs in religious communities to do otherwise prohibited hazardous work under supervision by someone age 18 or older — in committee | 4 | S 1747 (2023): Allows 12-13 YOs to serve as youth sports referees without a work permit — in committee | 6 | |||||||||
| North Carolina | Enacted | 5 | HB 661 (2021): Lowers the minimum age beer and wine wholesalers from 21 to 18 — enacted | 3 | |||||||||||
| North Dakota | |||||||||||||||
| Ohio | Enacted* | 5 | SB 30 (2023): Americans for Prosperity, Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce, Ohio NFIB, Ohio Restaurant Association | SB 30 (2023): Extends work hours — passed Senate | 2 | SB 102 (2021): Lowers the minimum age for alcohol service from 19 to 18 — enacted | 3 | ||||||||
| Oklahoma | Pending | 4 | HB 3191 (2024): Allows 13.5 year-olds employed on farms to drive without a license — passed House | 6 | |||||||||||
| Oregon | |||||||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | Introduced | 2 | HB 1392 (2023): Lowers age for employment in liquor imports/distribution from 18 to 16 — introduced; HB 2051 (2024): Allows 15 year-old justice-involved youth to work around alcohol at nonprofits in a “restaurant-based mentorship program” — introduced | 3 | HB 460 (2023): Lowers age for junior driver’s license to 15 so that young people can get to work — introduced | 6 | |||||||||
| Rhode Island | |||||||||||||||
| South Carolina | |||||||||||||||
| South Dakota | Failed | 1 | HB 1180 (2023): Extends work hours — failed | 2 | |||||||||||
| Tennessee | Enacted | 5 | HB 1212 (2023): Allows 16-and 17-year-olds to work in establishments where over 25% of revenue comes from alcohol sales — enacted | 3 | |||||||||||
| Texas | |||||||||||||||
| Utah | |||||||||||||||
| Vermont | |||||||||||||||
| Virginia | Failed | 1 | HB 1669 (2023): Establishes a subminimum wage for minors — failed | 5 | |||||||||||
| Washington | |||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | Enacted* | 5 | HB 5159/SB 559 (2024): Eliminates work permit requirement for 14-15 YOs — Passed House; in Senate committee | 1 | HB 2025 (2021): Lowers the minimum age for alcohol service from 18 to 16 — enacted | 3 | HB 5162 (2024): Expands hazardous work for 16-17 year-olds through youth apprenticeship program — passed House | 4 | |||||||
| Wisconsin | Mixed | 3 | SB 436 (2023): Foundation for Government Accountability, Wisconsin NFIB, Wisconsin Independent Businesses, Inc. AB 286 (2023): Tavern League of Wisconsin; SB 332 (2022): Wisconsin Grocers Association; Wisconsin Independent Businesses, Inc.; Wisconsin NFIB; Association of Wisconsin Tourism Attractions; Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association | SB 436 (2023): Eliminates work permits for minors under 16 — passed Senate and Assembly | 1 | SB 332 (2022): Extends work hours — vetoed by Governor | 2 | AB 286 (2023): Allows 14 year-olds to serve alcohol — in committee | 3 | ||||||
| Wyoming |
Note: "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. Map last updated March 25, 2024.
Source: EPI analysis of state legislative activity and news related to child labor legislation.
Figure B
Sixteen 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 (2023): 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; SB 3180 (2024): Establishes maximum hours for child performers based on age — introduced | 2 | SB 3646 (2024): Creates the Child Labor Law Act of 2024, which adds provisions related to various aspects of state child labor laws; SB 3464 (2024): Makes immigration-related retaliation (including for reports of child labor law violations) illegal — introduced | 3 | ||||||
| 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; HF 2292 (2024): Makes employers strictly liable for injury or death of a minor in their employ — 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 | Introduced | 2 | SF 3496 (2024): Requires parents to set aside earnings for children featured in monetized social media videos. Minors not properly compensated can enforce provisions in court | 2 | ||||||||||
| 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 | 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 | Enacted | 5 | HB 4004 (2024): Increases maximum civil penalty; allows labor commissioner to impose state penalties for child labor violations in addition to penalties imposed by US DOL for the same case — enacted | 3 | ||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | Pending | 4 | 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 | Enacted* | 5 | SB 248 (2024): Limits hours for 14-15 year-olds to align with the FLSA. However, the bill does not align with federal law on agriculture work hours during the school day– enacted | 4 | SB 248 (2024): Aligns permitted occupations for minors 14 and under with federal law — enacted | 5 | HB 454 (2024): Eliminates a provision permitting a lower minimum wage for minors — introduced | 6 | ||||||
| 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. Map last updated March 12, 2024.
Source: EPI analysis of state legislative activity and news related to child labor legislation.