Bill > S1196

This bill aims to prevent child labor exploitation and trafficking in seafood packing and processing facilities by making several key amendments to existing labor laws. The bill specifically expands existing regulations to explicitly include seafood facilities in provisions about workplace restrictions, removes previous seasonal limitations on fish processing work, and significantly increases financial penalties for labor law violations. The fines for violations have been dramatically raised from a maximum of $500 to $20,000, and from $5,000 to $100,000, with additional provisions allowing these penalties to be imposed concurrently with other legal remedies. The bill also extends existing workplace restrictions to seafood facilities, adding them to lists of prohibited work environments for minors, and removes previous seasonal constraints on work in fish processing. These changes appear designed to create stronger legal protections for young workers, particularly in the seafood industry, by establishing more comprehensive and punitive measures against potential labor exploitation.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1196