Florida child labor rollback bill amended to allow some 13-year-olds to work – WUSF

Proposed Changes to Child Labor Protections in Florida Legislature

Several proposals currently under review in the Florida legislature aim to remove certain child labor protections. These proposals have recently been amended to allow some 13-year-olds to work.

Expansion of Working Hours for Teenagers

Last year, the legislature passed a policy that permitted 16- and 17-year-olds to work up to 30 hours per week. This year, new proposals in both the Florida House and Senate seek to allow these teenagers to work full-time. Additionally, the rules for 14- and 15-year-olds who are enrolled in homeschooling, virtual education, or have already graduated would be relaxed. The house version of the proposal would even allow 13-year-olds to work during the summer of the year they turn 14.

Supporting Family Decision-Making

Representative Monique Miller, a Palm Bay Republican, expressed her support for the bill during its first committee stop. She argued that it would empower families to make decisions regarding their children’s work, rather than having the government dictate what is best for them.

“I think every family needs to make that decision for what’s best for them, instead of having the government tell them what’s best,” she said.

Concerns and Criticisms

However, Democrats and labor advocacy groups have strongly criticized the bill, asserting that it will have negative consequences for education outcomes and enable employers to exploit lower-income children by pressuring them to work longer hours at a younger age, with fewer protections.

Representative Anna Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat, expressed her concerns about the potential impact on wages for adult workers if children are allowed to work longer hours for less money.

“When you saturate the workforce with cheap labor, and this will be what happens. It impacts every worker’s bargaining power, every worker’s ability to advocate for better benefits and for better wages. So, it’s not just even impacting children. It really is a ripple effect in the entire system of our economy,” she said.

These proposed bills have emerged shortly after Governor Ron DeSantis voiced his support for increased teen labor to compensate for labor provided by immigrants.

“What’s wrong with expecting our young people to work part-time? That’s how it used to be when I was growing up. Why do we say we need to import foreigners, even import them illegally, when you know, teenagers used to work at these resorts, college students should be able to do this stuff,” he said.

It remains uncertain whether either of Florida’s two bills will pass. Senate President Ben Albritton has expressed uncertainty about his support, and House Speaker Daniel Perez has personal concerns about the proposed policies. Their hesitancy to endorse the bills may result in several changes being made to the proposals in the coming weeks.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The article discusses proposals in the Florida legislature that would remove child labor protections and allow younger children to work. This connects to SDG 4, which focuses on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, as child labor can negatively impact education outcomes. It also relates to SDG 8, which aims to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all, as it involves the issue of labor rights and protections for young workers.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.
• SDG 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labor in all its forms.

Based on the article, the specific targets that can be identified under SDG 4 are related to ensuring that young people have relevant skills for employment and decent jobs. The article mentions proposals that would allow 14- and 15-year-olds who are enrolled in homeschool or virtual education to work, which could impact their education and skills development.

Under SDG 8, the target identified is to end child labor in all its forms by 2025. The article discusses proposals that would remove child labor protections and allow 13-year-olds to work, which raises concerns about the potential increase in child labor.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 4.4.1: Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill.
• Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group.

The article does not explicitly mention indicators, but based on the identified targets, the following indicators can be used to measure progress:

For SDG 4.4, the indicator would be the proportion of youth and adults with relevant skills for employment. This could be measured by assessing the number of young people who have acquired technical and vocational skills through education or training programs.

For SDG 8.7, the indicator would be the proportion and number of children engaged in child labor. This could be measured by collecting data on the number of children aged 5-17 years who are involved in work that is harmful to their well-being and development.

4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: wusf.org