NY bill would increase penalties for child labor violations

Lawmakers in New York are considering a bill that would increase, threefold in some cases, fines for employers that violate state child labor laws.

New York law states that teenagers can’t work certain hours outside of school or in jobs deemed too dangerous, including construction and demolition work, specific tasks in mining and logging, and positions that require operating heavy equipment. The state currently authorizes fines for violating employers of $1,000 to $5,000, depending on whether they’ve been cited previously.

S.B. 7653, introduced Friday, would increase fines to $3,000 to $10,000.