The Children's Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety of 2025, or the CARE Act of 2025, aims to significantly strengthen child labor protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, with a particular focus on the agricultural industry. It redefines "oppressive child labor" to include any employment for those under 14, and for 14-17 year olds, it restricts work that interferes with schooling or health, or is deemed hazardous. This legislation largely eliminates previous exemptions that allowed children to work in agriculture at younger ages, for longer hours, and under more hazardous conditions than in other sectors, except for specific cases of children working on their parents' farms outside of school hours. To enhance enforcement, the bill substantially increases civil penalties for child labor violations, setting minimums of $500 to $15,000 per employee, and $15,000 to $60,115 for violations resulting in serious injury, illness, or death, with potential doubling for repeated offenses. Furthermore, it introduces new criminal penalties , including imprisonment for up to five years, for repeated or willful violations that cause death, serious injury, or serious illness to an employee under 18. Employers are also mandated to report any work-related serious injury, illness, or death of an agricultural employee under 18 within five days, facing civil penalties for non-compliance. A critical provision of the Act explicitly prohibits the employment of children under the age of 18 as pesticide handlers , recognizing this occupation as particularly hazardous. The Secretary of Labor is also required to collect and analyze data on work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths of children in agriculture, submitting annual reports to Congress to evaluate the status of child labor and related safety hazards. The bill clarifies that its provisions do not preempt any state laws offering greater protections for employees.