Florida Senate moves forward on revised proposal to loosen work restrictions for 16-and 17-year-olds

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A proposal to lift existing work restrictions for 16- and 17-year-olds advanced to the full Florida Senate following alterations made on Monday night, garnering partial support from lobbying groups.

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The Senate Rules Committee voted 15-3 supporting the amended bill (HB 49) presented by Linda Chaney, R-St. Pete Beach, which originally proposed allowing teenagers 16 and older to work overnight shifts and over 30 hours per week during the school year— which under current law is barred.

Notably, the House previously approved a more expansive version with an 80-35 vote on February 1, which followed along party lines.

READ: ‘It’s unAmerican’: New Florida bill would remove work hour restrictions for 16-and 17-year-olds

The revamped bill (SB 1596), sponsored by Senator Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, states that:

• Minors 16 years of age or older are not permitted to work for more than 30 hours per week during the school year unless they obtain a waiver issued by the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation. To obtain the waiver, minors must have either a parent or school superintendent sign the document and provide it to their employer.
• Child labor waivers are already available for minors under current law.
• Minors 16 and older are still required to get 30-minute breaks every four hours if they are working a shift of at least eight hours.
• During the school year, minors aged 16 and above are not allowed to work more than eight hours a day, except on Sundays or holidays.
• Minors 16 and older cannot work before 6:30 a.m. or after 11 p.m. if they have school the next day.

Both versions of the bill exempt homeschooled or virtual program students aged 16 and 17 from certain restrictions, reflecting a recognition of differing educational contexts.

Dr. Rich Templin, a lobbyist representing the AFL-CIO, acknowledged longstanding concerns regarding the potential exploitation of young workers.

“When we look at the product as it came over from the House, with truly draconian elimination of labor laws that have been on the books since 1986, this [Senate version of the bill] is an area where we have to break with tradition,” Templin told the committee. “And we support this bill.”

The Florida AFL-CIO, consisting of over 500 local union affiliates and over 1 million union members and retirees, is the state’s largest labor federation.

Burgess defended the changes, stating, “I think if we’re looking to empower parents and also get the school more involved, I think it’s a measured approach.”

Throughout the legislative process, opposition has been voiced, primarily by Democrats and advocacy groups, citing potential adverse impacts on students’ education and apprehensions about exploiting minors to alleviate labor shortages.

Senator Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens, raised concerns Monday regarding potential conflicts between parental objections and school approvals, prompting discussions about addressing such issues in future rule-making processes.

There are reportedly only seven agency employees in Florida dedicated to enforcing the state’s child labor law which oversees tens of thousands of teens, according to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Senator Burgess responded stating that the proposed changes do not repeal existing Florida labor laws but aim to update them to align with contemporary needs. He dismissed concerns about potential increases in child labor violations, asserting the adjustments seek a balanced approach.

Alexis Tsoukalas, a policy analyst from the Florida Policy Institute, emphasized the importance of maintaining existing safeguards to protect teens’ education and well-being, cautioning against excessively extending work hours.

“We know from reputable studies that extending teens’ work hours can make even the safest job hazardous to their education and well-being,” Tsoukalas stated.

Research studies have shown that putting minors to work for over 20 hours per week can result in negative outcomes such as academic performance issues and increase the risk of behavioral problems such as drug use or skipping school.

After passing Monday’s vote, the legislation will now advance to the Republican-dominated Senate, where it is expected to pass. A set of industry-backed bills targeting Florida’s child labor laws on construction sites (SB 460/HB 917) is also being considered.

READ: Florida bill weakening child labor protections at construction jobs heads to Senate

If approved by the State Legislature and Florida Gov. DeSantis, the law will take effect July 1.

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