FL H0499

Requires employers to obtain a preauthorization certificate from the Division of Regulation before employing performers age 17 or younger in Florida's entertainment industry, with parental/guardian consent required.

Establishes work hour limitations by age group, ranging from 2 hours maximum for infants 15 days to 7 months old to 8 hours for performers ages 16-17 when school is not in session, with mandatory 12-hour rest breaks between workdays.

Mandates certified teachers provide instruction and monitor health/safety of child performers during school hours (one teacher per 10 or fewer children), with parents/guardians required to remain within eyesight and earshot except during school instruction.

Requires trust accounts for child performers with contracts of $1,000 or more, with employers depositing at least 15 percent of gross earnings within 15 business days; funds inaccessible until the child turns 18 or becomes emancipated.

Establishes safety requirements including separate dressing rooms for minors and adults, prohibition of sexually exploitive material, and mandatory criminal history checks on certified teachers and safety personnel, with procedures for wage claims and certificate denial/revocation.