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H.R.2870 / 109th Congress

Youth Worker Protection Act

Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jun 13, 2005

Youth Worker Protection Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to revise requirements relating to child labor and to set forth new requirements for the employment of minors.

Establishes FLSA requirements for employment of minors, including those for: (1) work permits; (2) working-hour restrictions for minors in specified age groups, and in relation to school attendance; (3) notification of serious work-related injuries; (4) data compilation, retention, and reporting by state agencies; (5) prohibition of youth peddling; (6) civil actions for bodily injury, illness, or death; (7) public disclosure of violations; and (8) civil penalties.

Revises FLSA child labor requirements to: (1) set the same minimum age for children in agricultural employment as for those in nonagricultural employment; (2) impose a uniform minimum age for employment in all hazardous occupations; (3) eliminate the Secretary of Labor's authority to issue waivers with respect to certain hand harvest labor by children; (4) eliminate an exception for scrap paper balers and paper box compactors; and (5) declare that youth peddling affects commerce (and thus is subject to Federal regulation).

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Directs the Secretary of Labor to promulgate: (1) a rule relating to particularly hazardous occupations for children between the ages of 16 and 18, based on a specified report and recommendations of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); and (2) a rule prohibiting employment of minors in seafood processing or in jobs requiring them to handle or dispose of oil or other liquids from fryers.

Requires the Secretary to review: (1) restricted occupation and hazardous occupation orders at least once every five years; and (2) health and safety data on employment of minors in activities involving certain repetitive motions, or lifting, or working alone or late at night in retail establishments with public contact and cash handling, or entertainment industry work detrimental to them, and report with appropriate rules to Congress.

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Who introduced it

Rep. Lantos, Tom [D-CA-12] · D–CA

Committees

  • Education and Workforce Committee
32 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

  2. Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1215-1217)

  3. Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

  4. Introduced in House

  5. Introduced in House

Bill text & related measures

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Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Mar 23, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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