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FLORIDA - A Florida Senate panel narrowly approved a bill this week that would further loosen state labor laws for minors, igniting debate over how much teenagers should be allowed to work.
The proposal, SB 918, builds on last year’s legislation by eliminating current limits on work hours and breaks for teens as young as 14 in certain situations.
Under the proposed changes, 16- and 17-year-olds could work unlimited hours on school nights and would no longer be entitled to a 30-minute break after four hours of work.
The bill would also ease restrictions for 14- and 15-year-olds who are either homeschooled, have earned a high school diploma, or attend virtual school—allowing them to work longer shifts, including overnight.
Bill sponsor Sen. Jay Collins (R-Tampa) argued the changes align Florida with federal labor laws and offer teens opportunities to learn responsibility in safe job settings.
“We’re not talking about factories or sweatshops—this is about working at your neighborhood grocery store,” Collins said, framing the legislation as a parental rights issue.
Opponents, however, raised alarms about potential risks to minors, including exploitation, academic decline, and sleep deprivation.
Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando) suggested the push to expand youth labor may be driven by worker shortages tied to Florida’s immigration policies.
Sen. Tracie Davis (D-Jacksonville) warned the bill strips away vital protections for children, calling it “detrimentally wrong.”
Even some Republicans expressed unease, with Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) opposed the measure, stating, “We should let kids be kids.”
Despite the concerns, the bill passed out of committee on a 5-4 vote and now heads to the full Senate, where further revisions are expected.