Bill relaxing certain child labor laws signed by DeSantis

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Legislation relaxing certain labor laws relating to minors was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday.

The labor bill was one of 25 pieces of legislation passed during the 2024 Legislative Session that the governor signed.

HB 49, sponsored by Rep. Linda Chaney, R-St. Pete Beach, allows for minors who have already graduated high school or those who receive an exception from their educational institution, to work the same amount of hours with the same amount of labor restrictions as someone who is 18 or older.

The bill keeps the current labor laws in regards to all other minors who do not qualify for those exceptions.

The original bill loosened labor laws for 16 and 17 year olds, allowing them to work the same amount of hours as someone 18 and older. However, the legislation was amended when the Senate picked it up for review.

During the initial House consideration, Chaney noted that states that have aligned their laws for 16 and 17 year old work times and hours have “some of the highest graduation rates in the country.”

“The harmful reality of this statistic is stated by HR managers who say ‘Gen-Z’ers lack career readiness skills for today’s workforce,’ reducing their employment opportunities,’” she said.

Chaney said nearly one million Google searches have been performed for “how can I get a job as a teen?”

“They want to work,” she said. “This bill gets government out of their way to choose a path that’s best for them.”

The bill met criticism from members of the public who argued that the legislation would lead to unsafe working conditions and foster abusive employer-employee relationships.

For the full list of bills that DeSantis signed on Friday, click here.