- February 6, 2026
The state House continues to move a proposal that creates an exemption for some entry level jobs from the state’s voter-approved minimum wage.
The GOP-controlled House Careers & Workforce Subcommittee on Wednesday voted 11-5 along party lines to approve a measure (HB 221) that would allow people to waive their rights to the minimum wage if they are in a work-study, internship or pre-apprenticeship program.
A similar effort failed last year, and the Senate has yet to act on a bill (SB 1412) with similar language this session.
Supporters said the state’s minimum wage, which will increase to $15 an hour in September, limits entry-level jobs.
“They’re gaining a short-term, high-level experience that otherwise would not be available in the job market, that could go on their resume, and I believe will accelerate their earning potential in a much shorter time than it would be to go to two or three or four years of school,” said bill sponsor Ryan Chamberlin, R-Belleview.
Rich Templin, a lobbyist for the Florida AFL-CIO, said that some business owners could declare all jobs as “work-study” and compel individuals to waive away their rights for a needed job.
“All the power is with the business owner. None of it is with the workers,” Templin said. “And again, there is no guarantee whatsoever that this is actually an education program.”
Employers in Florida are allowed to pay sub-minimum wages to certain workers, such as people ages 19 and younger during the first 90 days of employment and to students working part-time in vocational training programs.
Under Chamberlin’s proposal, the “work-based” opportunities couldn’t last longer than 252 days or two semesters for people earning school or college credits. People 18 and younger couldn’t accept pay under the minimum wage for longer than 126 days or one semester when earning school credit.
The bill wouldn’t allow employers to go below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
A 2020 Florida constitutional amendment required gradual increases in the minimum wage. It is $14 an hour and will go to $15 an hour on Sept. 30. For tipped employees, the state’s minimum wage is $10.98 an hour.
