TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A bill that would loosen work rules and allow 16 and 17-year-olds to work more hours is headed for a full vote on the Florida House floor.
HB 49 passed the Florida Commerce Committee Tuesday, its last stop before going to the full House. It passed 13-5, largely along party lines with Democrats against it.
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The bill allows teens ages 16 and 17 to work the same number of hours as a person who is 18 years older or older. Rules limiting the teens from working more than 8 hours a day when school is in session the next day, or more than 30 hours in any one week when school is in session are removed. They would also be able to work more than six consecutive days in a week.
It also removes a rule that teens ages 16 and 17 cannot work more than 4 hours continuously within a 30-minute break. They would be allowed the same breaks as employees who are 18 or older instead.
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Municipal and county governments with curfews would also have to create exemptions as a result of the bill.
Supporters of the bill the new rules will increase labor force participation among teens and also allow employers to employ 16 and 17-year-olds without burdensome requirements. They also say the bill is in alignment with federal labor laws and 24 other states, including several Democratic states.
“In 1938, 68% of 16 and 17-year-olds worked. Today, that has dropped to 38%,” said State Rep. Linda Chaney, R-St. Pete Beach, the sponsor of the bill. “The harmful reality of this statistic is stated by HR managers who say Gen Xers lack career readiness skills for today’s workforce, reducing employment opportunities. Nearly 1 million searches have been performed for ‘how can I get a job as a teen.’ They want to work.”
State Rep. Kristen Arrington, D-Kissimmee, asked Chaney if she meant to say “Gen X,” and Chaney said she did, saying it was in a news report she saw.
News 6 looked and we found a recent survey of employers about Generation Z college graduates, those born between 1997 and 2012. Nearly 60% of those surveyed said recent college graduates are unprepared for the labor market. We could not find anything regarding Generation X’s career skills.
The bill is supported by the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. Chaney said she would speculate that hospitality, hospitals and grocery stores would most benefit from this bill.
But last week a letter from 100 groups urged lawmakers to vote against the bill, saying it would negatively impact thousands of teens who have a job but are also in school because employers would no longer have to consider school schedules when scheduling teens, and that it would disproportionally hurt low-income and immigrant youth.
“Working excessive hours in adolescence remains a risk factor for poor grades and dropping out of high school. This, in turn, can have lifelong economic consequences, as young adults without a high school diploma earn the least and are more likely to face later unemployment than other workers,” the letter said.
Among the groups behind the letter were the Florida Policy Institute, Families for Strong Public Schools, Hispanic Unity of Florida, the League of Women Voters of Florida, the NAACP Florida State Conference, and the National Farm Worker Ministry.
A companion bill in the Florida Senate has not been heard in committee yet.
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