15-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN IN IOWA COULD BE ALLOWED TO WORK NIGHT SHIFT AND ASSEMBLY LINES IF THE BILL PASSES THE LEGISLATURE.

WORKERS UNDER THE AGE OF 16 IN ARKANSAS WILL NOT HAVE TO PROVE THEIR AGE OR GET WORK PERMITS TO GO TO WORK.

THIS PART OF A PUSH TO LOOSEN LABOR LAWS FOR CHILDREN.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE IS CATHERINE WOLF.

DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.

WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED RELAXING THE CHILD LABOR LAWS, BUT NONE WERE ABLE TO JOIN US MAKE YOU THINK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> A RECENT PIECE IN THE WASHINGTON POST, ONE OF THIS ORGANIZATION IS A CONSERVATIVE THINK TANK THAT IS LOOKING FOR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY IN THOSE PUSHING FOR RELAXED CHILD LABOR LAWS NATIONWIDE.

WHAT PUSHES THEIR ARGUMENT TO DO THIS TO LOOSEN CHILD WORKPLACE PROTECTIONS?

>> I CAN SPEAK TO CERTAIN ARGUMENTS AS CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS AT THE TIME OF THE CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES.

THE ARGUMENT IS THAT THERE IS A GAP IN THE LABOR FORCE.

THAT WE NEED TO FILL THAT.

A GOOD POPULATION TO FILL THAT WOULD BE YOUNG ADULTS, ADOLESCENTS AND CHILDREN.

>> WITH THIS LEGISLATION CONFLICT WITH FEDERAL LABOR LAWS?

RIGHT NOW, IT IS SORT OF STATE-BY-STATE PEER >> IT ABSOLUTELY DOES CONFLICT WITH FEDERAL LABOR LAWS.

IN THAT SENSE, I THINK ONE OF THE REALITY CHECKS OF THE STATE PROPOSAL TO RELAX TIRED LABOR LAWS IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE SUPREMACY CLAUSE UNDER THE U.S. CONSTITUTION, THAT IF THE FEDERAL LAWS THAT ARE PROTECTIVE WITH CHILD LABOR LAWS, THERE WOULD BE A CONFLICT WITH FEDERAL LAW.

THE STATE LAW THAT THEY JUST PASSED WOULD BE UNDER MORE SCRUTINY AND POTENTIAL LEGAL CHALLENGES TUESDAY CONTEST.

THAT BEING SAID, IT IS STILL A VERY DISTURBING TREND FOR SEVERAL STATES TO LOOSEN THESE LAWS AROUND CHILD LABOR.

>> I WANT TO GET INTO THAT IN A MOMENT, AS WELL.

THE SUPPORTERS SAY THE PARENTAL RIGHTS ISSUE, PARENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO DECIDE IF THE TEENAGER WORKS OR WHEN.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT ARGUMENT?

>> YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T CHILD LABOR AS WE THINK ABOUT IN TERMS OF BABYSITTING AND CAR WASHING.

THESE ARE HAZARDOUS OCCUPATIONS THAT ARE IN INDUSTRIES THAT ARE PUSHING FOR THESE RELAXATIONS IN CHILD LABOR LAWS, AGAIN, THEY ARE NOT SAFE ENVIRONMENTS.

SO, A HAZARDOUS WORK ENVIRONMENT IS WHERE THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR HARM EITHER PHYSICAL OR MENTAL.

IT IS OFTEN WITH THE CONDITION OF ACTIVITY THAT IS LESS CONTROLLED FOR INJURY OR ILLNESS.

I THINK THAT IS INCREDIBLY PROBLEMATIC WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

>> THE U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT SAYS IN 2022, THERE WERE MORE THAN 3800 CHILDREN FOUND TO BE WORKING IN VIOLATION OF THESE FEDERAL CHILD LABOR LAWS.

THAT IS AN INCREASE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE AS TO WHAT THESE JOBS ARE?

>> IT GOES BACK TO MY EARLIER POINT.

IT IS NOT TECH, IT IS NOT FINANCED, IT IS NOT BABYSITTING HER CAR WASHING.

IS THE LEAST REGULATED INDUSTRIES OF LABOR.

IT IS HACKING, IT IS MANUFACTURING, IT IS WORKING IN HAZARDOUS WORK CONDITIONS.

FOR EXAMPLE THE SANITATION SERVICES, WHICH WAS FINED $1.5 MILLION FOR EMPLOYING CHILDREN AS LONG YOUNG AS 15 WORKING THE NIGHT SHIFT.

THAT COULD EXPOSE THEM TO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND CLEANING PROCESSING EQUIPMENT.

SOME EXPERIENCED CHEMICAL BURNS.

IT IS HAZARDOUS AND DANGEROUS EMPLOYMENT.

>> WHY HAVE WE SEEN THAT INCREASE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS?

>> I THINK THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.

ONE IS THAT THERE IS AN INCREASE IN VULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY MIGRANT CHILDREN.

TO MAYBE ENGAGE IN A TRADE OF WORK.

I THINK THE OTHER PIECE IS THAT THERE IS MORE ATTENTION DRAWN TO THE ISSUES AND NOT NECESSARILY WHAT IS HAPPENING AT HIGHER RATES.

THERE IS MORE OVERSIGHT.

PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION.

WITH MY WORK ON CHILD LABOR TRAFFICKING AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN.

I THINK BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED INTEREST IN PREVENTING AND IDENTIFYING HUMAN TRAFFICKING CASES, THERE ARE MORE FOCUSED IN AREAS WHERE CHILDREN ARE BEING MORE FOCUSED WERE HAZARDOUS FORMS OF LABOR.

>> WHEN CHILDREN END UP INVOLVED IN THIS WORK, THEY GET EXPLOITED, THEY FEEL THE NEED TO GET AN INCOME TO ADD TO THE INCOME AT HOME.

>> I THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.

I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE NUANCES.

IT IS REALLY EASY TO SAY WELL, NO CHILD SHOULD BE WORKING , SOME MAY ARGUE THAT NO CHILD MAY BE WORKING.

OTHER INDUSTRIES THAN THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO PASS THESE LAWS THINK CHILDREN SHOULD HAVE A CHOICE, THEIR PARENTS SHOULD HAVE A CHOICE.

IT IS COMPLEX.

WHEN I WORKED WITH CHILDREN, THEY EXPLAINED THEY ARE DOING SO BECAUSE THEY ARE WORKING BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO.

THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO EARN THEIR KEEP, THAT IS PART OF THEIR SURVIVAL.

LIVING OR WORKING WITH A FAMILY MEMBER, A PARENT, GUARDIAN, OR EVEN JUST SURVIVAL IN THE COUNTRY, IF THEY ARE DOCUMENTED OR UNDOCUMENTED.

>> WE HAVE A FEW SECONDS LEFT, ABOUT 30 SECONDS.

WE SAW A SIMILAR LOBBYING PROPOSED IN ILLINOIS.

>> I THINK IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY.

MOST OF THE LAWS THAT ARE BEING DRAFTED AND DEVELOPED, NONE HAVE PASSED YET, THEY ARE BY REPUBLICANS WHO ARE BACKED BY INDUSTRIES.

I THINK IT IS VERY UNLIKELY.

I DO THINK IT IS A TROUBLING TREND THAT SAYS A LOT ABOUT HOW WE VALUE CHILDREN IN OUR SOCIETY.

I AM NOT SAYING THAT CHILDREN SHOULD NOT WORK OR LEARN SKILLS, BUT I THINK CHILDREN SHOULD PRIORITIZE ATTENDING SCHOOLS, BEING SAFE, BEING PROTECTED.

THERE IS A TENDER BALANCE THAT WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO IN TERMS OF CHILDREN INVOLVED IN HAZARDOUS