Rollback of Florida child labor laws gets its first committee seal of approval

A proposal that would eliminate restrictions on the number of hours that 16- and 17-year-olds could work received its first hearing in the Florida Legislature on Wednesday, where it passed on a party-line vote in the GOP-controlled committee.

Since Tampa Bay House Republican Linda Chaney first filed the measure (HB 49) in September, no bill has received more attention going into the 2024 regular legislative session.

The measure limits restrictions that now prohibit 16- and 17-year-olds from working more than six consecutive days in any one week or working 4 hours continuously without a break of at least 30 minutes for a meal period to only apply to minors 15 and younger.

Democrats and several public speakers said passage of the proposal could lead to the exploitation of teenagers and allow employers to get away with paying lower wages, but Chaney said it would simply align Florida with federal child labor laws as well as those in 24 other states.