Gray Rohrer
The Senate has unanimously approved a bill that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work on some construction sites. But before the vote, Senators amended the bill to remove a provision related to apprenticeship programs.
The maneuver means that HB 917 is headed back to the House, which passed the bill 84-30, mostly along party lines. Democratic Reps. Lisa Dunkley of Sunrise and Johanna Lopez of Orlando joined Republicans voting for the bill. GOP Reps. Mike Beltran of Riverview and Paula Stark of St. Cloud voted with Democrats against it.
Sen. Corey Simon, a Tallahassee Republican, said the bill — which also seeks to expand apprenticeship programs in trades like construction in more school districts around the state — is aimed at helping teenagers get workforce experience. He said the measure got “conflated” with another bill to remove restrictions on children in the workplace.
“Unfortunately we have districts that don’t have those academies,” Simon said. “That’s all this bill does is really engage our construction trades.”
“We’ve made sure that … we’re always protecting our kids,” he added.
Under the bill, a 16- or 17-year-old can work on a residential construction site with scaffolding or roofing that is less than six feet high if they have been certified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and is under direct supervision of someone at least 21 years old with at least two years of experience.
Simon’s amendment removed a provision that restricted how much money school districts could receive for administering the apprenticeship programs.
Opposition to the bill has mainly centered on concerns about the safety of young workers.
“I understand the need to increase opportunities for training and apprenticeship,” Beltran wrote in a note explaining his vote.
“However, I am concerned about the lack of sufficient guardrails relating to underage workers on possibly dangerous jobsites. I would have been more comfortable if there were stronger language to ensure close supervision of these vulnerable youths and that the primary purpose of such work is bona fide training.”
The House must now agree with the amendment or send it back to the Senate. The chambers must reach a consensus on the bill in the final week of the Regular Session for it to make it to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk.
3 comments
Dont Say FLA
March 1, 2024 at 1:25 pm
18 years old are too young to strip, but 16 and 17 year olds are perfectly good for working on a Floridian roof where, unless there’s rain, it’s easily 120 degrees minimum, going up to 180 on sunny summer days.
Oh, and that roof also has the same adults as you’d find in the audience at the strip club.
Once again, that is some brilliant legislating brought to us by the FLg0P and its Chia Pet, Flop Gov.
Flori-Duh
March 1, 2024 at 3:05 pm
18 years old are too young to strip, but 16 and 17 year olds will be force to carry their rapists baby to term. But they can’t have a social media account.
Flori-Duh indeed.
Dancing Outlawed
March 1, 2024 at 3:50 pm
We certainly cannot have high school girls TikToking about how awful their rape babies are, now can we?
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