S 1742119th CongressIn Committee

Children Don't Belong on Tobacco Farms Act

Introduced: May 13, 2025

Labor & Employment

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill, titled the Children Don't Belong on Tobacco Farms Act, would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit employment of children under 18 in tobacco-related agriculture as oppressive child labor. Specifically, it adds a new provision that any employee under 18 who has direct contact with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves is included in the category of oppressive child labor. It also clarifies that tobacco-related agriculture is to be treated as within the prohibited scope, alongside manufacturing and mining, for under-18 employment. In short, the bill tightens protections to bar under-18s from working on tobacco farms, including activities involving direct contact with tobacco plants or leaves.

Key Points

1Title: Establishes the short title “Children Don’t Belong on Tobacco Farms Act.”
2New prohibition: Adds a clause making it unlawful for anyone under 18 who has direct contact with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves to be considered part of oppressive child labor.
3Expanded coverage: Explicitly treats tobacco-related agriculture as within the prohibited category, not just traditional manufacturing or mining, under the oppressive child labor standard.
4Enforcement framework: The change operates under the Fair Labor Standards Act’s structure for oppressive child labor, extending the existing prohibitions to tobacco-related farming activities.
5Status and sponsors: Introduced in the Senate on May 13, 2025, sponsored by Durbin, with Blumenthal and Reed listed as co-sponsors; referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. No additional funding or enforcement provisions are specified in the text provided.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Children under 18 who might otherwise work on tobacco farms.- Employers and operators of tobacco-related agriculture (farm owners, family farms, seasonal labor employers).Secondary group/area affected- Agricultural labor regulators and the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (enforcement and compliance activities).- Families and communities involved in tobacco farming, including migrant and seasonal workers.Additional impacts- Compliance burden on tobacco farms (workplace policies, hiring practices, and verification of worker ages).- Potential shifts in labor sourcing and farm labor practices if under-18 access is restricted.- Broader public health and child welfare considerations related to child labor in agriculture.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Oct 7, 2025