More Work Opportunities for Florida Kids?

The Florida Legislature is proposing to change the state’s law regulating the employment of minors ages 14 to 17. Below is a summary of the current limitations on child labor in Florida and how the rules will change once the current bill, HB 49, becomes law.

HB 49 passed favorably out of Senate Rules earlier today, having already passed through the House. We will continue to monitor the status of HB 49.

Age	Current Law	Proposed Change
14 -15 – when school is in session	Up to 15 hours per week	No change
14-15 – when school is in session	Not before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. and for no more than 3 hours per day when a school day follows	No change
14-15 – when school is in session	May work up to 8 hour per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and on non-school days – until 7 p.m. – when no school day follows	No change
14-15 – when school is not in session – breaks, summer –	Up to 8 hours per day and up to 40 hours per week; may not work before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m.	No change
16-17 – when school is in session	May not work during school hours	May not work during school hours unless enrolled in a home education program, enrolled in an approved virtual instruction program, or the student no longer attends school.
16-17 – when school is in session	May work up to 30 hours per week. Not before 6:30 a.m. or after 11 p.m. and for no more than 8 hours a day when school is scheduled the following day.	May not work before 6 a.m. or after 11 p.m. when school is scheduled the following day. 8 hour per day limit removed. 30 hour per week limit removed. May be employed the same number of hours as a person who is 18 or older
16-17 – when school is in session	No hour restrictions when school does not follow the next day	No change.
16-17 – when school is not in session	No restrictions	No change

	Minors ages 14 to 17 cannot work more than 6 consecutive days in any one week	Minors 14 and 15 cannot work more than 6 consecutive days in any one week
	Minors 14 to 17, may not work more than 4 consecutive hours without a 30 minute uninterrupted meal break	Minors 14 to 15, may not work more than 4 consecutive hours without a 30 minute uninterrupted meal break. Minors 16 or 17 must be granted breaks and meal breaks as employees age 18 or older.