When President Bush signed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act last month, the civil penalties were increased for child labor violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Effective on the May 21, penalties up to $50,000 may now be assessed for each violation causing the death or serious injury of an employee under the age of 18. The penalty can be doubled for repeated or willful violations.

The provision also allows consideration of the appropriateness of the penalty to the size of the business of the person charged and the gravity of the violation.