HB 221 — Minimum Wage Requirements

F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 221 2026 A bill to be entitled An act relating to minimum wage requirements;

defining the term "work-based learning opportunity";

providingrequiring that an employee'semployee waiver to optbe outpaid ofat or above the state minimum wage isat onlythe validexpiration forof athe specifiedwork-based timeframe;learning opportunity;

448.110Page State1 minimumof wage;4 CODING:

annual wage adjustment;

enforcement.— Page 1 of 3 CODING:

hb221-00hb221-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 221 2026 (3)(a)448.110 EmployersState shall pay employees a minimum wagewage; at an hourly rate of $6.15 for all hours worked in Florida.

annual wage adjustment;

enforcement.— (3)(a) Employers shall pay employees a minimum wage at an hourly rate of $6.15 for all hours worked in Florida.

(b)(b)1. An employer is not subject to the state minimum wage requirements of this section for an employee who is in a structured work-study, internship, preapprenticeship program, or other similar work-based learning opportunity and who opts out of receiving the minimum wage.

However,An suchemployer work-basedis learningnot opportunitysubject mayto notthe laststate longerminimum thanwage 9requirements monthsof this section for an employee who is in a structured work-study, internship, or twopreapprenticeship full-timeprogram, semestersor consistingother ofsimilar atwork-based leastlearning 15opportunity, creditand hourssuch each.employee opts out of receiving the minimum wage.

a.

Such work-based learning opportunity may not last longer than 252 days or, if the employee is earning credit at a school, Florida College System institution, or state university, two semesters, whichever is longer.

b.

If the employee is under 18 years of age, such work- based learning opportunity may not last longer than 126 days or, if the employee is earning credit at a school, Florida College System institution, or state university, one semester, whichever Page 2 of 4 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

hb221-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S CS/HB 221 2026 is longer.

2.

For purposes of this paragraph, the term "work-based learning opportunity" means any interaction with industry or community professionals which occurs in a workplace setting with the sole purpose of providing the employee with an authentic structured learning experience and on-the-job training that fosters in-depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required in a given career field in order to become qualified and proficient in such career field.

A work-based learning opportunity must meet all of the following criteria:

a.

Be developmentally appropriate.

b.

Identify learning objectives for the term of the experience.

c.

Explore multiple aspects of an industry.

d.

Develop workplace skills and competencies.

e.

Assess employee performance.

f.

Be documented and reported in compliance with state and federal labor laws.

X of the State Constitution and this section and that the employee is knowingly and voluntarily choosing to receive a lesser amount for his or her work-based learning opportunity as described in paragraph Page 23 of 34 CODING:

hb221-00hb221-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 221 2026 her work-based learning opportunity as described in paragraph (b).

If the employee is younger than 18 years of age, in order for the waiver to be effective, the employee's parent or guardian must have agreed and signed the waiver on behalf ofof, theand minorin employeeaddition atto, the minor employee'semployee. request.

(e) AnAt employee'sthe waiverexpiration to opt out of the statework-based minimumlearning wageopportunity, underthe thisemployee subsectionmust isbe onlypaid validat foror 9above monthsthe afterstate theminimum datewage regardless of his or her employmentposition or job title with the employeremployer. begins.

Thereafter, the employee must be paid at or above the state minimum wage regardless of his or her position or job title with the employer.

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hb221-00hb221-01-c1