Teens aged 16 and 17 years would be allowed to work full-time under a bill slated to come before the Florida Legislature this session. Initially filed in the Florida House of Representatives in September by State Rep. Linda Chaney (R-St. Pete Beach), CS/HB 49 Employment and Curfew of Minors would roll back certain state policies aimed at putting limits on child labor.
According to the text of the proposed measure, teens 16 and 17 years of age “may be employed the same number of hours as a person who is 18 years of age or older.” The measure would repeal a Florida law that prevents 16 and 17-year-olds from working seven or more straight days and forbids those teen workers to perform all-night shifts on school nights.
Also, CS/HB 49 would remove a law that required employees ages 16 and 17 years to have a 30-minute break for every four straight hours worked. Minors age 15 or younger “may not work for more than 4 hours continuously without an interval of at least 30 minutes,” according to the proposed bill.
Finally, under the proposed measure, employees aged 15 years and younger may not work before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m., during school nights, or for more than six consecutive days in any one week.
A twin bill was filed in the Florida Senate on Jan. 5 by Sen. Danny Burgess (R-Zephyrhills).
If passed and signed into law, CS/HB 49 will go into effect on July 1. ‘p
