Tallahassee, FL — Advancing in the Florida Senate: a bill that would allow some 14- and 15-year-olds to work overnight shifts and would remove restrictions on 16- and 17-year-olds working before 6:30 a.m. and after 11 p.m. during the school week.
The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee passed S.B. 918, sponsored by Sen. Jay Collins (R-Tampa), with a 5-4 vote on March 25. It’s now under consideration by the Senate Regulated Industries Committee.
Under the bill, teens as young as 14 could work overnights if:
- They’ve graduated from high school or received a high school equivalency diploma.
- They’re within the compulsory school attendance age limit and hold a valid certificate exemption issued by the school superintendent or their designee.
- They’re enrolled in a public education institution and qualify on a hardship basis, such as economic necessity or family emergency.
- They’re homeschooled or enrolled in an approved virtual instruction program and separated from the teacher by time only.
- They work in domestic service in private homes or are employed by their parents or pages in the state Legislature.
The bill would remove a requirement for a 30-minute meal break when 16- and 17-year-olds work for eight hours or more in a day but maintain it for workers 15 and younger. It also would remove a restriction that bars minors from working more than eight hours in a day when school is scheduled the next day.
During a committee hearing, Collins reportedly said that all workers would remain protected under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and the opportunity for teens to work more would allow them to learn soft skills, self-determination and money management.
Child labor advocates say the bill exploits Florida’s youth, especially kids from low-income and working-class families.
