Congress moves to ban children from tobacco farms
H.R. 3335 — Children Don't Belong on Tobacco Farms Act · Filed by Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) · 62 cosponsors · Introduced May 13, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to prohibit employment of anyone under 18 in tobacco-related agriculture—specifically work involving direct contact with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves. It adds tobacco work to the list of occupations deemed 'oppressive child labor,' which triggers federal restrictions on such employment.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is to expand the definition of oppressive child labor under federal law to include tobacco-agriculture work, a straightforward protective measure with no secondary provisions or riders.
What the text implies
- The prohibition applies only to direct contact with tobacco plants or dried leaves—indirect roles (e.g., packing, transport, administrative work) may remain unaffected depending on how 'direct contact' is interpreted by the Department of Labor.
- Enforcement depends on DOL resources and state labor-department cooperation; the bill creates no new enforcement mechanism or funding, so effectiveness may vary by jurisdiction.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who it affects
Children under 18 are protected from hazardous tobacco-agriculture work, which exposes them to nicotine poisoning, pesticide exposure, and other occupational harms documented in public health literature. The restriction removes a source of child labor exploitation without imposing costs on ordinary citizens.