Legislation (SB 918) has passed the Senate Committee on Commerce and Tourism in Florida, potentially affecting more than 110,000 young workers. The bill allows employers to schedule all 16- and 17-year-olds, as well as home- and virtual-schooled 14- and 15-year-olds, for unlimited hours without breaks. This could impact over 60,000 teens balancing work with school.
The Florida Policy Institute (FPI) opposed this legislation during the committee meeting. Sadaf Knight, CEO of FPI, commented on the proposal: “Last year, an upswell of opposition to child labor law rollbacks resulted in Florida lawmakers removing some of the most concerning provisions in HB 49… If lawmakers want to prioritize the health, safety, and education of Florida youth, they will reject any further undoing of child labor protections.”
Alexis Tsoukalas, PhD, senior policy analyst at FPI added: “There is already an imbalance between work and school… Work experience and income is important but not when it puts developing adolescents at risk.”
A poll from last year revealed that 72% of Florida voters opposed allowing employers to schedule teens past 11 p.m. on school nights or for more than 30 hours during school weeks. Despite this opposition, SB 918 alongside HB 1225 seeks these changes.
While last year’s HB 49 allowed scheduling beyond six consecutive days for certain students during the school year—after advocacy efforts removed harmful provisions—the current bills seek further changes without such amendments yet.
FPI remains committed to advancing policies that improve economic mobility and quality of life for Floridians.
