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Florida’s ongoing efforts to crack down on employers hiring undocumented immigrants have created a workforce dilemma.
Businesses, especially in low-wage sectors, are struggling to find enough workers to fill roles that are often considered undesirable. In response to this challenge, Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and the state legislature have proposed changing child labor laws.
A new bill, which advanced through the Florida Senate’s Commerce and Tourism committee on Tuesday, aims to ease restrictions on child labor. If passed, the bill would allow teenagers as young as 14 to work overnight shifts, including on school nights, according to CNN.
Currently, Florida law limits teens’ working hours, preventing them from working earlier than 6:30 a.m. or later than 11 p.m. on school nights.
The proposal was approved by a narrow vote, with five committee members in favor and four against. It still needs to pass through two more committees before reaching the full Senate for a vote.
Governor DeSantis has expressed his support for the bill, arguing that it could help address Florida’s labor shortage, particularly in industries like hospitality, where many jobs go unfilled.
DeSantis has been a strong proponent of stricter immigration policies, often echoing former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric.
In fact, U.S. President Donald Trump plans to immediately end U.S.-funded programs aimed at combating child labor worldwide, according to Reuters. The cuts will affect 69 programs that have allocated over $500 million to fight child labor and other labor abuses in more than 40 countries.
DeSantis has criticized the need to hire foreign workers, especially in light of the state’s child labor law changes. “Why do we say we need to import foreigners, even import them illegally, when teenagers used to work at these resorts?” DeSantis said last week. “College students should be able to do this stuff.”
Florida recently enacted a law requiring employers with more than 25 workers to check immigration status using the federal E-Verify database. Employers who fail to comply face fines of $1,000 per day. However, economists warn that tightening immigration rules may lead to inflation and exacerbate the state’s existing labor shortage.
In recent years, the state has gradually relaxed child labor protections. In 2023, Florida passed a law allowing homeschooled 16- and 17-year-olds to work any hour of the day. This new proposal, which is set to be debated further, would eliminate working time restrictions for 14- and 15-year-olds who are homeschooled and remove meal break guarantees for 16- and 17-year-olds.
Despite these efforts, child labor violations in Florida have surged, with the U.S. Department of Labor reporting a near-tripling of violations in recent years. With the new bill still in progress, its potential impact on the state’s workforce remains to be seen.
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