TALLAHASSEE — A toned-down but nonetheless controversial proposal that would loosen a long time-aged perform limits for 16- and 17-year-outdated youths is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis
The Residence and Senate gave ultimate acceptance to the monthly bill (HB 49) in the final hour of the 2024 legislative session, readying it to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Critics argued that the bill — although not as broad as to begin with sought by the Household — would hinder students’ training. They reported it could direct to enhanced distractions and school absenteeism as college students may well perform more than 30 hours a week all through the university year.
But Dwelling sponsor Linda Chaney, R-St. Pete Beach front, said the evaluate would assist pupils who already perform all over the state’s regulations.
Senate sponsor Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, stated the proposal “gives greater versatility to specific 16- and 17-year-olds if they are in the workforce.”
Groups these types of as the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association supported transforming the function limits. Just after the proposal was scaled back again, the Florida AFL-CIO also backed the monthly bill.
The invoice would sustain a 30-hour operate 7 days restrict for 16- and 17-12 months-olds when faculty is in session. But moms and dads, guardians or university superintendents could waive the 30-hour restrict.
Also, the evaluate would raise a restriction by allowing for 16- and 17-yr-olds to operate additional than eight hrs on Sundays and holiday seasons when school is the following day.
The monthly bill would involve that 16- and 17-calendar year-olds doing work eight or a lot more hours in a day get 30-minute food breaks soon after four several hours of do the job.
As the monthly bill moved as a result of committees, critics reported it was intended to use minors to tackle labor shortages, such as shortages related to a deficiency of immigrant staff.
But Florida Coverage Institute CEO Sadaf Knight in a statement claimed the toned-down remaining version “does not pose the identical diploma of chance to Florida’s youth as the initial model.”
The Home voted 76-33 on Friday to pass the remaining model, whilst the Senate handed it 27-11.
The approval arrived immediately after a vote on a different challenge that would protect against folks under age 21 from working in adult-amusement institutions. Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando. explained it was ironic that lawmakers handed that bill whilst also liberating up lots of 16- and 17-calendar year-olds to operate for a longer time in service-linked positions.
“I genuinely imagine that the most susceptible age for trafficking truly is heading to be fewer than 18, and however company work have extremely substantial costs of sexual harassment,” Eskamani reported. “And we are not providing protection for younger persons.”
