Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Child Labor topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rep. Hendricks asks committee to back bill targeting child labor in seafood processing
Summary
Representative Hendricks urged the Joint Committee on the Judiciary to report favorably on House Bill 17‑44 after federal investigations found children employed in fish processing under hazardous conditions; the bill would add seafood processing to prohibited workplaces for 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds and increase civil and criminal penalties.
Representative Dan Hendricks opened the public testimony portion on House Bill 17‑44, “an act to prevent child labor exploitation and trafficking,” telling the Joint Committee on the Judiciary that the proposal responds to federal investigations into unlawful employment of minors in seafood processing.
Hendricks said the federal Department of Labor found “dozens of children, some as young as 13, were unlawfully employed in fish processing plants… working overnight shifts and handling hazardous equipment.” He explained HB 17‑44 would explicitly add seafood processing to the list of prohibited workplaces for minors aged 16 and 17 (work under age 16 is already prohibited) and close seasonal or outdated exceptions that advocates say permitted illegal hiring.
The bill also seeks to strengthen enforcement by raising civil penalties: Hendricks said HB 17‑44 would raise the maximum fine for a single violation from $500 to $20,000 and authorize aggravated penalties up to $100,000 in serious cases. He framed the increase as a deterrent and said the measure pairs penalties with enforcement options including criminal prosecution and civil remedies. Hendricks emphasized the bill’s interest in protecting undocumented and unaccompanied minors who may lack the ability to report exploitation.
No vote was taken at the hearing. Committee members thanked the representative for his testimony and offered the chance for follow‑up questions or written submissions.
