Congressman Raul Ruiz introduces legislation to protect farmworker children  

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Representative Raul Ruiz (D-California) introduced the Children's Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety (CARE) Act of 2023.

This would raise national labor laws standards for farmworker children as well as other children working other occupations. 

Children can start working in the agricultural fields as young as 12 years of age with no virtual restrictions on the number of hours that they spend working out in the fields outside of school.

The CARE Act will bring in age and hour standards in the workplace, the minimum penalty for child labor violations, increase the maximum civil monetary penalties and maximum criminal penalties for child labor violations and provide protection against pesticide exposure.  

“Farm labor is incredibly dangerous work with one of the highest occupational injury rates in our nation. In fact, every three days, a child employee dies while working in agriculture,” said Rep. Ruiz.