New Florida Law Will Allow Disney/Universal To Work Children to the Bone

The Florida Legislature has only been in session for a week, but it’s been a mixed bag for the Walt Disney Company. On the first day, Orange County legislature Linda Stewart introduced a bill that would have returned the Reedy Creek Improvement District to Disney World, but that was quickly shot down by Speaker of the Florida House Paul Renner, who said the legislature wouldn’t even consider it.

Related: Complete and Total Reversal: New Florida Law Would Reverse DeSantis Disney District

However, a new law that can directly affect Disney World was supported by the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, which the Walt Disney Company has close ties with, and it has grabbed most of the headlines. The Florida Legislature is considering removing child labor laws that do not allow high school students to work more than eight hours a day and 30 hours a week during the school year.

The Law

According to Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents, current state law forbids 16 and 17-year-old high school students from working between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. on school nights. Students cannot work more than eight hours a day or more than 30 hours a week. Students are also not allowed to work more than six days in a row.

Florida House Bill 49 would remove all those restrictions and bar any state municipality from enacting stronger child labor laws. The bill was introduced by Tampa Bay Republican Representative Linda Chaney, who told legislators:

Employers consider the entry level work of teens like jobs in hospitality, grocery and retail to be ‘invisible curriculum’ that teaches them the soft skills that bolsters candidates for future opportunities. HR managers say Gen X’ers lack career readiness skills, reducing their employment opportunities. These skills are learned as teens in their entry level positions, if they so choose.This bill is not about children, this bill is about teenagers. They’re 16 and 17 years old. They’re driving cars. They are not children. This is not child labor.

The first person to testify in favor of the bill? A lobbyist for the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association…whose board of directors includes execs from Disney, Outback, Olive Garden, Universal, Red Lobster, Walmart, Wendy's, Amazon, JW Marriott & Ritz Carlton hotels, etc.

— Jason Garcia (@Jason_Garcia) January 10, 2024

Related: Florida’s Takeover of Disney’s Monorail is Complete

This would make Florida the 16th state to remove restrictions on minors and roll back child labor laws. According to Garcia, the Foundation for Government Accountability wrote the law but is supported by the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, whose Board of Directors includes Disney and Universal Studios Orlando executives.

Minors Working At Disney World and Univeral Orlando

Disney World and Universal Studios do not allow anyone under 18 to work as a cast member in Disney Parks. However, many of its third-party vendors do use minors and follow the laws that are currently in place in Florida. So, while high school students would not work directly for the parks, they would still be allowed to work for any vendors that either park chose to bring in for additional work.

The law would allow minors also to perform more dangerous work, like climbing on scaffolds or roofs. It would also make it easier for students to drop out of high school to pursue a full-time job.

So, should Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando hire a third party for roof work at one of its hotels, it could be a high school student doing the work for them.

A Florida bill (SB 460) that would allow employers to put 16- and 17-year-olds to work on roofs and scaffolding has been scheduled for its first committee hearing next Wednesday.

As I reported for @OrlandoWeekly, the bill was written by industry lobbyists https://t.co/DOmG7Vvcdy

— McKenna Schueler (@SheCarriesOn) January 12, 2024

Related: New Florida Law Would Ban the Pride Flag in DeSantis’ Disney District

Florida legislators in favor of the new law will argue that the state has a shortage of workers, especially in the hospitality industry, and this bill offers high school students more choice.

However, opponents will argue that it offers them an impossible choice. Jessica Ramirez, who works with the Farmworkers Association of Florida, told the committee considering the bill:

I have a 17-year-old girl in high school. She plays soccer…and also has a part-time job. When soccer is finished she asks for more hours in her job. But I’m thinking now if this bill passes, if the boss says, ‘Oh you have to work those hours, if you don’t work those hours you’re going to be fired,’ so, what’s she going to do? Leave the school or get fired from work? That’s not fair because she loves work.

If the removal of child labor protections passes the Florida Legislature and is signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, it could be a high school student doing the heavy lifting that keeps Disney World operational.

We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.