An Act to prevent child labor exploitation and trafficking

This bill (HD 2914) strengthens child labor protections in Massachusetts by explicitly prohibiting minors from working in seafood packing or processing facilities, closing a previous exemption that allowed some child labor during summer months. It removes the prior exception permitting child labor in "fish processing" during June-October and adds seafood facilities to multiple existing prohibitions. Key changes include raising fines for violations from $500 to $20,000 for first offenses and $5,000 to $100,000 for repeat offenses, with penalties now running concurrently with other remedies. The bill directly affects employers in the seafood processing industry by expanding prohibited work settings and significantly increasing financial penalties for noncompliance.