Only a year after Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature loosened Florida’s child labor restrictions amid a tight job market, lawmakers now are advancing a measure that would remove all work limits on 16- and 17-year-olds.
While these kids could work unlimited hours and days without breaks during the school year, the legislation (SB 918) would even allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work without restrictions if they either graduated high school or are home- or virtual-school students.
It also removes prohibitions on kids working on school days earlier than 6:30 a.m. or later than 11 p.m. “This is a parental rights issue,” Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, told the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee on Tuesday.
Collins dismissed critics who likened his bill as a return to an earlier epoch of child labor exploitation: “Frankly, we’re not talking “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair. We’re talking about them working at Publix and Piggly Wiggly.”
Still, others warned that exploitation of young workers is certain to follow if lawmakers ditch even the relaxed standards approved last year, which allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to work more than 30 hours during school weeks, with parental permission.
Critics had warned of slippery slope
“We warned this was just the beginning, that this was a slippery slope, and here we are again,” said Jackson Oberlink, with Florida For All, a justice advocacy organization. “We’re facing another attempt to strip away basic safeguards for Florida’s children, all to appease corporate interests looking for cheap labor.”
Collins portrayed expanding work opportunities for teens as a chance for them to not only help their families but also build character that will serve them in future academics, work and life experience.
DeSantis, though, may have fueled criticism of the legislation last week during a roundtable in Sarasota with President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan.
DeSantis acknowledged that efforts the state and White House are engaged in to remove undocumented immigrants may have reduced the workforce for lower-wage jobs. But the governor pointed to young workers as potential replacements.
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“Why do we say we need to import foreigners, even import them illegally, when you know, teenagers used to work at these resorts. College students should be able to do this stuff,” he said.
DeSantis sees youth as replacement workers
DeSantis said the state requiring larger employers to verify workers’ immigration status has reduced available labor.
“Yes, we had people that left because of those rules, but you’ve also been able to hire other people. And what’s wrong with expecting our young people to be working part-time now? I mean, that’s how it used to be when I was growing up,” DeSantis said.
Collins’ bill, however, may face tough odds.
A similar House bill (HB 1225) hasn’t moved. And while Collins’ proposal cleared the Senate committee on a 5-4 vote, at least two of his fellow Republican supporters said they remained uneasy about the approach. Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, a former state GOP chair, voted against the legislation.
“I think this sends a bad message,” Gruters said. “I think we should allow kids to work the hours they’re allowed now with the (parent) waiver system, and that’s it.”
Collins’ bill is like what Florida lawmakers began working with last year, until the compromise measure involving limited hours and parental permission emerged and was eventually approved.
Who’s behind it? Conservative donors
It reflects a nationwide push by the Foundation for Government Accountability, a Naples-based conservative research and lobbying organization financed by a constellation of right-wing groups.
The Ed Uihlein Family Foundation, led by the billionaire founder of a Wisconsin-based shipping company, is a big donor to FGA and supports the child labor bill along with anti-union and deregulation efforts across the country.
Dick Uihlein, who leads the foundation named for his father, was a big donor to DeSantis, particularly during his failed presidential campaign.
The Florida Policy Institute, which opposes the legislation, said there are more than 80,000 16- and 17-year-olds already employed in Florida, with most juggling work and school.
FPI said that lifting the current limits will force teen-agers to accept hours their bosses schedule them, even if it puts their academics at risk. Citing the most recent U.S. Labor Department statistics, FPI reported that in 2023, there were 209 child labor violations in Florida, the second highest level in 15 years.
John Kennedy is a reporter in the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jkennedy2@gannett.com, or on X at @JKennedyReport.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida teens would have work limits lifted under new legislation
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