This bill, titled the "Protecting Children Act," aims to enhance the protection of children from oppressive child labor and unsafe working conditions by strengthening enforcement, improving regulatory capacity, updating standards, and increasing research and public education.

Title I significantly increases both civil and criminal penalties for violations. Civil monetary penalties for oppressive child labor are raised substantially, with higher amounts for repeat or willful violations. Similarly, penalties under the Occupational Safety and Health Act are increased, with doubled penalties for violations causing serious harm to employees under 18 and trebled penalties for fatalities involving young workers. Criminal penalties for child labor violations and unsafe working conditions are also enhanced, including longer imprisonment and higher fines, particularly for actions leading to death or serious bodily injury, with doubled maximum punishments for violations affecting young workers.

Furthermore, Title I expands the use of "hot goods" injunctions, extending the period for which goods produced with child labor can be prohibited from shipment. It also creates a new private right of action under the Fair Labor Standards Act, allowing children harmed by child labor violations to seek compensatory and punitive damages from employers.

Title II establishes a National Advisory Committee on Child Labor to advise the Secretaries of Labor and Health and Human Services on preventing child labor and protecting children's health and safety in employment. This title also creates a dedicated Child Labor and Safety and Health Fund, financed by collected civil penalties, to support investigation, enforcement, interagency collaboration, training, education, and research related to oppressive child labor and the occupational safety and health of young employees.

Title III focuses on updating standards to protect children. It improves the process for reviewing and updating hazardous occupation orders, requiring the Secretary to prioritize children's safety and well-being, consider their vulnerable nature, and adopt precautionary assumptions against anticipated harm. The bill outlines procedures for recommendations from the Advisory Committee or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and prevents the rollback of existing child labor protections. It also modifies judicial review processes for related rules and regulations.

Finally, Title IV aims to increase research and public education. It establishes a National Research Agenda on Child Labor under the Secretary of Health and Human Services (through NIOSH), focusing on preventing child labor, tracking work-related injuries and illnesses in young workers, and identifying hazardous occupations. The Secretary of Labor is mandated to develop a comprehensive statistical program, including annual reports on child labor data and targeted surveys for vulnerable populations.

This title also requires the Secretary of Labor and OSHA to provide training and public engagement programs for employers, employees, and professionals to identify and prevent child labor violations. Both agencies must publish annual reports on child labor and young worker safety, including enforcement activities, trends, and an evaluation of protections, along with annual statements detailing their enforcement capacity.