Michigan State Representative Proposes Bill to Increase Penalties for Child Labor Violations

Aug. 28, 2023

State House Bill 4932 would increase fines by five to 10 times the current amount on a sliding scale based on repeat violations and severity of any injuries.

Andy Hanacek

A Michigan state representative has introduced a state house bill to give child labor laws more teeth by increasing penalties that have not been updated since 1981, according to a news release. Currently, any violations are $500 for each offense, no matter how many times a company runs afoul of the laws.

State Rep. Phil Skaggs (D-East Grand Rapids) says the House Bill 4932 will help the state protect children from exploitation. The bill would increase financial penalties five to 10 times higher than current fines for companies that break the state’s child labor laws.

Under the new bill, first offenses would cost a company $5,000, second offenses up to $25,000 and subsequent offenses up to $50,000. In addition, all subsequent violations beyond the first would be classified as felonies rather than misdemeanors, and penalties would be enhanced if the violation resulted in a fatality or great bodily harm.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.