Restrictions on work hours for 16- to 17-year-olds in Florida would be relaxed under a measure proposed by state Rep. Linda Chaney (R-St. Pete Beach), mirroring similar legislative efforts in other states.

House Bill 49 would remove state restrictions on work times allowed for these older teens, allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to work the same number of hours as those 18 and older, according to the Legislature’s staff analysis of the bill, which would take effect on July 1 if signed into law.

Current state prohibitions restrict 16- and 17-year-olds from working more than six consecutive days in a single week, according to the analysis. And Florida law also bars these teens from working four hours continuously without a break of at least a half hour for a meal period.