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S 1196

Enacts the automobile insurance consumer information act

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Addabbo

Mass. S.1196 bans child labor in seafood packing/processing, ends seasonal fish-processing exceptions, and sharply raises penalties to deter exploitation.

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Bill Summary · S 1196

Summary — S.1196: "An Act to Prevent Child Labor Exploitation and Trafficking"

Note on sources: The materials provided include more than one S 1196 across jurisdictions (an Idaho appropriation bill and a Massachusetts bill). This summary focuses on the Massachusetts Senate docketed S.1196 titled “An Act to prevent child labor exploitation and trafficking,” which contains substantive child‑labor provisions. Where document inconsistencies exist (sponsors or unrelated text), they are noted at the end.

Purpose

To strengthen protections against child labor exploitation and trafficking in Massachusetts by (1) expressly prohibiting certain child labor in seafood packing/processing facilities, (2) removing prior seasonal/limited exceptions for some fish‑processing work, and (3) substantially increasing civil and criminal penalties for violations to create stronger deterrence and permit concurrent penalties.

Key provisions and changes

  • Expands the scope of prohibited child labor to explicitly include work in “seafood packing or processing facilities” by amending multiple sections of Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 149.
  • Removes a prior seasonal exception for fish‑processing work that had limited allowable hours to certain months (language referencing the prior “June–October” exception is struck).
  • Raises statutory monetary penalties substantially:
    • Section 78: increases one category of penalty from $500 to $20,000 and another from $5,000 to $100,000.
    • Section 78A(a): replaces fines of $250 / $500 / $2,500 with $20,000 / $50,000 / $100,000 depending on subsection (scale of violations).
    • Section 79: replaces prior misdemeanor fines (previously $25–$200 and/or up to 2 months imprisonment) with fines of $20,000–$100,000 and/or up to 6 months imprisonment.
  • Adds language in Sections 78 and 78A stating these penalties are “in addition to and may be imposed concurrently with any other remedy or penalty provided” in the chapter — allowing cumulative sanctions.
  • Adds seafood processing to lists of occupations and workplaces where child labor is restricted (amendments to multiple sections referencing mechanical establishments, firearm work, etc.).

Who would be affected

  • Employers operating seafood packing/processing facilities in Massachusetts (newly and explicitly subject to child‑labor prohibitions and much higher penalties).
  • Minors (workers) — protections extended; some prior narrow exceptions removed.
  • State enforcement agencies (Attorney General, local labor inspectors), courts, and employers — potentially greater enforcement activity, investigations, and litigation.
  • Employers currently relying on prior seasonal exceptions for fish processing would need to change practices to comply.

Procedural status & timeline (as provided)

  • Filed in the Massachusetts Senate: 1/16/2025 (Senators Mark Montigny and Christopher Hendricks are petitioners).
  • Referred to the Judiciary Committee.
  • Hearing scheduled (per materials): June 10, 2025, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM, location A-2.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Stronger fines and the ability to stack penalties increase deterrence but may raise compliance costs and enforcement burdens (investigations, prosecutions, administrative actions).
  • Removing seasonal exceptions may protect vulnerable minors but also affects small employers and fisheries that historically relied on narrow seasonal labor practices — may prompt shifts to adult labor or stricter age-screening.
  • The statute’s substantial increase in maximum fines could face legal or political scrutiny over proportionality and enforcement discretion.

Notes on document inconsistencies

  • The packet includes an unrelated Idaho S 1196 appropriations bill (library funding) and a separate set of federal senator names; those materials are not part of the Massachusetts child‑labor text summarized here. If you want a summary of the Idaho appropriation bill or clarification on sponsors and jurisdiction, I can provide a separate, jurisdiction‑specific summary.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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