Florida House tees up bill to exempt minor-league baseball players from the state’s minimum wage
The Florida House is set to finalize a proposal that exempts minor-league baseball players from the state’s minimum wage requirements.
On Monday, the Republican-controlled Florida House considered a Senate measure (SB 892). This measure is not as extensive as the House bill, which would have impacted local living-wage ordinances.
House sponsor Brad Yeager, R-New Port Richey, said the Senate bill would incorporate into the state’s minimum-wage law a carve-out for minor-league baseball players in the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
The federal act includes several minimum-wage exemptions, such as for baseball players, casual babysitters, some seasonal amusement workers and border patrol agents.
The law requires baseball players to receive an in-season weekly salary equal to the minimum wage for a 40-hour workweek.
The federal law in 2018 was amended by Congress, setting the minor-league minimum wage at $290 per week, which is equivalent to $7.25 per hour without eligibility for overtime. It is worth noting that the current hourly rate for the federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 since its last increase in 2009.
In 2020, voters in Florida supported a constitutional amendment that will gradually raise the minimum wage by $1 annually until it reaches $15 on September 30th, 2026. Currently, the minimum wage in Florida is $11 per hour, but it will increase to $12 on September 30th.
RELATED: Florida minimum wage to increase yearly
The House could give final approval to the bill as soon as Tuesday. The Senate passed it last week.
Recently, there was progress made as the Minor League Baseball players successfully negotiated a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with Major League Baseball. This deal includes pay for the off-season, resulting in significant increases in pay for Class-A players from $11,000 to $26,200 or $27,300 (depending on the level), Double-A players from $13,800 to $27,300, and Triple-A players from $17,500 to $35,800.
According to a Senate staff analysis, there are approximately 500 players who are associated with minor league teams in Florida.
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