S. 1341 – Children Don't Belong on Tobacco Farms Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 4:10 PM UTC

The Children Don't Belong on Tobacco Farms Act would change federal child‑labor rules by adding tobacco farming to the list of occupations where employing minors is considered oppressive child labor. It amends the Fair Labor Standards Act so that any worker under 18 who works directly with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves would be prohibited from employment. The change primarily affects children and teenage workers in tobacco‑related agriculture.

Key Provisions

Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to define child labor as including any employee under 18 who has direct contact with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves.
Adds tobacco‑related agriculture to the list of occupations where employing minors is prohibited, alongside manufacturing and mining.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3398)

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

June 12, 2017

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

June 12, 2017

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3398)

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

June 12, 2017

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about S. 1341 on the floor

1 Republican1 Democrat

Sen. John CornynR-TX · Jun 12, 2017

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · Jun 12, 2017

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · Jun 12, 2017

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued June 12, 2017

II

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1341

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 12, 2017

Mr. Durbin (for himself, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Reed, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Markey, and Mr. Franken) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit employment of children in tobacco-related agriculture by deeming such employment as oppressive child labor.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Children Don't Belong on Tobacco Farms Act.

2.

Tobacco-related agriculture employment of children

Section 3(l) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203(l)) is amended—

(1)

in the first sentence—

(A)

by striking in any occupation, or (2) and inserting in any occupation, (2); and

(B)

by inserting before the semicolon the following: , or (3) any employee under the age of eighteen years has direct contact with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves; and

(2)

in the second sentence, by striking other than manufacturing and mining and inserting , other than manufacturing, mining, and tobacco-related agriculture as described in paragraph (3) of the first sentence of this subsection,.