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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 3
K3 5lr0819
HJ 7/24 – HRU (PRE–FILED) CF SJ 1
By: Delegate Ruth
Requested: September 12, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
A House Joint Resolution concerning 1
Ratifying the Federal Child Labor Amendment 2
FOR the purpose of ratifying the federal Child Labor Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, 3
as proposed by U.S. House Joint Resolution 184 of 1924, to provide the U.S. Congress 4
with the power to limit, regulate, and prohibit the labor of minors; and generally 5
relating to the federal Child Labor Amendment. 6
WHEREAS, In 1924, the 68th Congress of the United States, at its first session, 7
passed House Joint Resolution 184 in both houses, resolving by a constitutional majority of 8
two–thirds of each house that the following article should be proposed as an amendment to 9
the U.S. Constitution: 10
“JOINT RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE 11
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND 12
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN 13
CONGRESS ASSEMBLED (TWO –THIRDS OF EACH HOUSE CONCURRING 14
THEREIN), That the following Article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of 15
the United States, which, when ratified by the legislatures of three–fourths of the several 16
States, shall be valid to all intents and purposes as a part of the Constitution: 17
ARTICLE ______ 18
Section 1. The Congress shall have power to limit, regulate, and prohibit the labor of 19
persons under eighteen years of age. 20
Section 2. The power of the several States is unimpaired by this article except that 21
the operation of State laws shall be suspended to the extent necessary to give effect to 22
legislation enacted by the Congress.”; and 23
2 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 3
WHEREAS, In 1937, when the most recent state ratified House Joint Resolution 184, 1
only 28 states had ratified it, which fell short of the three–fourths of states required to 2
ratify a constitutional amendment; and 3
WHEREAS, The proposal for the constitutional amendment is still outstanding since 4
Congress did not set a time limit for ratification, and ratification by 10 more states is 5
required to add the amendment proposed by House Joint Resolution 184 to the U.S. 6
Constitution; and 7
WHEREAS, On March 18, 1927, the 314th session of the Maryland General 8
Assembly rejected ratification of House Joint Resolution 184; and 9
WHEREAS, The 447th session of the Maryland General Assembly desires to correct 10
the mistake of its predecessor; and 11
WHEREAS, Since 2018, there has been a revived interest nationwide to ratify this 12
amendment, with ratification resolutions introduced in several states including New York, 13
Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Nebraska, a resolution to ratify House Joint Resolution 184 14
passing the Hawaii Senate in 2021 and 2022, and a resolution to ratify House Joint 15
Resolution 184 passing the Connecticut House of Representatives in 2024; and 16
WHEREAS, Regulating the labor of persons under the age of 18 years is necessary 17
to protect their health, welfare, and ability to obtain a quality education; and 18
WHEREAS, There has been a weakening of child labor protections in various states 19
and an increase in violations of existing laws; now, therefore, be it 20
RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the Article 21
proposed as an amendment to the U.S. Constitution as set forth in U.S. House Joint 22
Resolution 184, dated June 2, 1924, is hereby ratified by the Maryland General Assembly; 23
and be it further 24
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded by the Department of 25
Legislative Services to the President of the United States of America, 1600 Pennsylvania 26
Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20500; Vice President of the United States, President of the 27
United States Senate, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable 28
Colleen Joy Shogan, Archivist of the United States, National Archives and Records 29
Administration, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20408; the Maryland 30
Congressional Delegation; and the presiding officer of each House of the legislature of each 31
state of the United States, with the request that it be circulated among leadership of the 32
legislative branch of the state governments. 33