Florida Considers Business-Supported Child Labor Law Rollbacks

Florida would relax its child labor restrictions next year under a pair of pending statehouse bills, one that would let high-school students work longer hours and another that would allow them to perform hazardous jobs such as roofing as long as they have adult supervision.

A Florida House subcommittee considered the first of those bills Wednesday. HB 49 would let 16- and 17-year-olds work later at night and more hours during the school week, and it would preempt local governments from setting youth curfews that would prevent them from working late.

The subcommittee approved the Republican-sponsored bill on a party-line ...