To authorize minors who are under the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and who are under 18 years of age to load materials into balers and compacters that meet appropriate American National Standards Institute design safety standards.
Public Law 104-174 · H.R. 1114 · 104th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Aug 6, 1996 · Labor and Employment
Sponsor: Rep. Thomas Ewing (R-IL-15)
Cosponsors (142): Rep. Larry Combest, Rep. Pete Hoekstra,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Provides that, in the administration and enforcement of the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, 16- and 17-year-old individuals shall be permitted to load materials into, but not operate or unload materials from, scrap paper balers or paper box compactors that meet: (1) the current safety standards of the American National Standards Institute; and (2) other specified standards regarding on-off switches and employee notification.
Requires employers to make reports to the Secretary of Labor on injuries (which require medical treatment other than first aid) and fatalities of employees under age 18 resulting from their contact with a scrap paper baler or paper box compactor during its loading, operation, or unloading.
Establishes civil penalties for violations of this Act.
Provides that this Act does not affect a specified exemption for apprentices and student learners.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Education and Workforce Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Workforce Protections Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.
- Aug 6, 1996Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 104-174.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 26, 1996PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jul 25, 1996Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Ballenger asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendment.
- Jul 16, 1996FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Amendment SP 4587 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Nov 1, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Oct 24, 1995FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · The previous question was ordered on the amendment and the bill without objection.
- Oct 17, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Education and Workforce Committee
- Jul 20, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Education and Workforce Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
- Jul 11, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
- Mar 17, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
- Mar 2, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Education and Workforce Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.