Government News
Child Labor
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao released the following statement upon the signing
of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA):
"We are pleased that the Congress has enacted the administration's proposal to strengthen
the nation's child labor laws and to provide today's teenagers with safe employment
opportunities."
The legislation, which amends the Fair Labor Standards Act, implements the administration's
proposal to increase the civil money penalties that may be imposed for child labor
violations that result in the death of or serious injury to children. The U.S. Department
of Labor is responsible for enforcing the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor
Standards Act.
Section 302 of GINA raises the maximum penalty to $50,000 for each violation with
the possibility of a penalty of up to $100,000 in cases where the employer's violation
is a repeated or willful violation. The increased penalties apply to deaths or serious
injuries that occur after yesterday's enactment.
Read the original article at
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/opa/opa20080716.htm.