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.
“In 1938, 60% of 16- and 17-year-olds were working. Today that has dropped to 38%,” Chaney told members of the House Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee in introducing her proposal. “Nearly a million [internet] searches have been performed, ‘How can I get a job as a teen?’ They want to work.”
The measure to loosen child labor laws is part of a trend in certain states around the country. Florida is now the 16th state to introduce legislation rolling back child labor protections in the past two years and the 13th to do so this year, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank in Washington, D.C.
The proposal by Chaney doesn’t go as far as some states have in loosening child labor regulations. Arkansas’ Youth Hiring Act of 2023 eliminates work permits for 14- and 15-year-olds, for example. And Iowa’s Youth Employment measure allows 14- and 15-year-olds to work in meat coolers and industrial laundries, and teens 15 and older can work on assembly lines around dangerous machinery, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Democratic amendments
Like in all committees in a Legislature with a Republican supermajority, Democrats were handicapped in what they could do to stop the proposal.
Jacksonville Democrat Angie Nixon proposed five separate amendments to the legislation, including one that would create a state Department of Labor, a measure (HB 425) that she has separately introduced for the coming session. “Wage theft is a major issue across our state,” she said. “I’m worried that 16- and 17-year-olds might be taken advantage of.”
Not surprisingly, none of her amendments passed.
Nor did an amendment offered by Orlando Democrat Anna Eskamani, who, noting how Chaney had referred to 16- and 17-year-olds as “youth workers,” said it should be appropriate to repeal state law that requires that a woman in Florida under the age of 18 must notify a parent or legal guardian that she intends to have an abortion.
Eskamani’s amendment said that “you don’t have to seek special notification consent to a parent or guardian if the minor is 16 or 17-years of age and legally employed.” It also went down to defeat on a party line vote.
Democrats argued the Legislature would send conflicting signals after passing a measure during the 2023 regular legislative session that prevents middle schools from beginning the instructional day earlier than 8 a.m., while high schools are barred from starting the school day before 8:30 a.m.
“We just recently passed a law having the school days starting later because teenagers need more sleep, “said Palm Beach Democrat Joe Casello. “I don’t see how this bill helps that. This bill contradicts the premises of that bill.”
Rep. Chaney envisioned that if the measure passes, the majority of teenagers who want to work would most likely do so the hospitality and retail sectors. Industry representatives were ecstatic about the prospect.
‘Flood of support’
Samantha Padgett, vice president for government relations at the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, said she usually only receives “a trickle of comments” when she asks for feedback from her members about pending legislation. But not this time.
“This was a flood of positive support from our hoteliers and our restaurateurs in the state of Florida,” she said. “This would significantly help them and make a positive difference in their business and also make a positive investment in the future of their business by being able to invite 16- and 17-year olds into the work force and start their career development early.”
Two young people testified about the legislation.
Logan Schoenberg is a 16-year-old who said he wished he could work more than 30 hours a week at Martial Arts Academy.
“I feel like they should be given the freedom to choose what they want to take career-wise and their path,” he said. “The earlier you start, you know, the better off you’re going to be with experience.”
But 18-year-old Christian Tingle, who said he’s worked since he was 15, said it was important to keep the child labor laws now in place.
“We do not let minors go into high school working from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.,” he said. “How are they going to function in school? I know people who did that, working under the table, and they did not succeed in high school. You cannot succeed in high school if you are going straight from work to school.”
‘Grandstanding’
Republicans on the committee said they were stunned at the Democrats’ response to the bill.
“I’m shocked at the grandstanding for this bill,” said GOP Rep. Jeff Holcomb, who represents parts of Hernando and Pasco counties. Holcomb said that he worked as a youth washing dishes and busing tables. “I learned a work ethic. I learned the value of a dollar. I learned how to save money from those jobs,” he said, adding that nobody was being forced to take a job.
The measure will move on to its next committee stop when the Legislature returns to Tallahassee next month as the official legislative session commences.
No Senate equivalent to Chaney’s measure has been filed yet. But there has been a bill proposed by Tallahassee Republican state Sen. Corey Simon (SB 460) that would allow 16- and 17-year-old to work on any scaffolding roof, superstructure, or building construction sites if they received an Occupational Safety and Health Administration certification and under supervision of someone 21 years or older.
–Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
Marc Crane says
Summer jobs and hard work. Better than the alternative. Let them work and get a solid employment history . It work for us
The Sour Kraut says
I bet that the kids of all those Republican politicians who voted to change the law don’t work at all.
Samuel L. Bronkowitz says
I can’t wait until my 6 year old is allowed to work 12 hour shifts at the meat processing plant down the road.
Angela says
That is a sad JOKE and so is this decision. Forced Early Labor in the U.S. but then again, our former President says he will be a dictator for one day. SAD, so SAD, at the expense of our children to be able to compete globally for Jobs that my pay well and the student is interested but does not have any time to learn about EVER because they most likely will forever be in debt and never own a home.
Pat Stote says
I am 82 years old and started work at age of 16 and even back then we were allowed a 15 minute break every four hours and a half hour lunch bread and that continued throughout my working days.
Why are we now taking this away from teenagers.
A kid working more than six days a week is cruel to me.
I’m pretty sure employers like Publix and other big companies treat All their employees regardless of age better than this.
It’s early and maybe I didn’t read this correctly.
Wow says
Legislated by people who know nothing of history. There is a reason child labor (specifically under age 14) was made illegal. You think the employers will be thinking “OH cool we can provide development and educational opportunities for America’s youth!”?
Uh… nope. More like rubbing their hands in glee at underpaid, overworked labor. And since the kids will have no education there comes a fresh new generation of uneducated voters. What a great plan!!
Laurel says
Since Republicans are supposedly so afraid of immigrants coming here, they need someone to do the jobs that most Americans don’t want to do. The businesses are happy, sure, to keep the wages low. More corporate profit. Not to mention, if kids are tired, and have little time for school, that pushes forward the agenda to dumb down Americans. Works all the way around for some politicians. Who needs a break anyway, and six days a week is barely enough time to get the job done, right?
Yes, I worked from age 16 on throughout my life, but there were labor laws in place that prevented exploitation of children. I am highly suspicious of anyone who would try to remove those protections. That picture stinks.
So, are you ready to vote them out yet?
I like Eskamani. I wrote to several Florida Republicans and Democrats on a particular bill being considered, and she was the only one who responded personally. Everyone else either did not respond, gave me a boilerplate response, or had an assistant give me a predictable response. So, Eskamani is someone who is really concerned about us.
Skibum says
I recall working in the Jack In The Box restaurant my parents owned after school and sometimes on weekends when I was a teenager. I don’t think it would be unreasonable for teens to have less restrictions around work hours in similar situations where they are employed by, or supervised by a family member. But I don’t think you can place the trust of always doing the right thing regarding your minor child’s work shifts with strangers. And I have so much more distrust in this state’s republican legislature and governor to to what is best for underage workers. There are a number of ways to get more teens working, IF that really was their overriding interest. How about increasing the state’s minimum wage, or increasing other job benefits to entice more job seekers? But no, the GOP is primarily consumed with proposals that only favor business owners to the detriment most of the time against workers. You can tell because one of the things they are trying to put into law is taking away a 30 minute break for underage teens who have put in 4 hours of work. That alone is not going to help encourage more teens to sign up to work after being in school all day, but do republicans really give a hoot about what underage teens really need? I think not.
Atwp says
Love the picture. Don’t see a white kid. Remind me of the cotton picking days in Georgia. All black kids I didn’t see a single white kid in the field. This demonic mean hypocritical greedy murderous evil society. A commentator said they had 15 minute breaks and I believe a 30 minute break. If labor laws are changed who will benefit from the changes? Who will get hurt? Sure the big companies wii benefit, lower wages, little to no health insurance, probably no safe policies to prevent injuries. If a young person is hurt while working the not doubt will be immune from repercussions. Will the law put in place to restrict the hiring of nonwhites? Will the new laws be pro white and anti African American? Will African American young people get arrested for trying to get part time employment? Correction to the above statement, the missed words are the company will no doubt be immune from lawsuits. We will see what happens.
Atwp says
206 billion to the states over a 25 year period. My question is did African American communities benefit from the suit?
Angela says
There is a reason the law protecting minors where put in place. I hear little support for our students career success other than our students being desparate to support their poor families. These students would rather work adult hour than plan for a future that might seem beyond their reach at this moment due to their financail problems that will not go away with working a few more hours. While taking hours of needed rest, physical and metnal health, acdemeic success and being a productive student.
Robjr says
Oh look ! A new demographic for businesses to exploit.
Someoneplease says
Most employers of minors don’t follow the law already. Many kids who want to work, you guessed it, want to work. I could agree with a weekly total limit. But the mandated 30 minute breaks especially most kids don’t want to take. Most kids also don’t care about working 7 days in a row at 4 or 5 hour shifts? It is also based on availability. If a kid says they can handle it, let them learn if they can or not. Where’s the parents to say only 4 or 5 days.
I as an employer always consulted with the parents or legal guardian to begin with….check in periodically to make sure the parents understand their well being comes first and I am not here to overwork them if their grades slip. If an employer exploits them, their parent or guardian should make them find different employment. On and on and on the as argument could go.
Endless dark money says
You voted for these gop to $#^+ in your bed now you sleep in it. Need more child workers since we can’t make businesses pay living wages because profits could be reduced. Now tell your teenager to go get his own Healthcare and forget school, be a wage slave for life…. remeber they will pay taxes but cant vote or have any representation. No kid should have to work, they should be a kid. Another horrible rule brought to you by Maga tards!!