State Child Labor Penalties Expand in Pushback on Relaxed Limits

A countermovement is emerging among certain state lawmakers to strengthen enforcement of child labor laws and increase penalties against businesses that violate them, even as bills to loosen these protections in other states continue to advance.

Colorado in particular is set to tighten its child labor restrictions for a second straight year. A bill on its way to Gov. Jared Polis (D) aims to encourage underage employees to report illegal working conditions to the state by banning employer retaliation, eliminating potential criminal liability for their parents or guardians from Colorado law, and making final orders of a company’s violations public. ...