Florida lawmakers are advancing a controversial bill that would weaken child labor protections, allowing minors as young as 14 to work overnight shifts—even on school nights—and without required breaks.
Backed by the Republican-dominated legislature and aligned with Governor Ron DeSantis’s hardline immigration agenda, the bill is being positioned as a solution to a self-inflicted crisis: a critical labor shortage following the state’s aggressive crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
The proposed legislation would strip away key protections that have been part of Florida’s labor laws for decades. Under the proposed changes, 14- and 15-year-olds would no longer be limited to working certain hours and could be scheduled for overnight shifts.
Employers would be allowed to require minors aged 16 and 17 to work more than six consecutive days. Additionally, homeschooled and online-schooled students would be exempt from existing hour limits, making them an even more vulnerable labor pool. The bill also eliminates mandatory break requirements for young workers, raising serious concerns about their well-being and exploitation.
Critics say it’s no coincidence that this legislation is surfacing with DeSantis’s high-profile efforts to root out undocumented workers.
Governor DeSantis has not formally commented on the bill’s latest developments, but he’s previously framed Florida’s immigration and labor policies as efforts to “protect American jobs” and “end the reliance on dirt-cheap labor.”
