Florida lawmakers unanimously passed a child drowning prevention bill that aims to provide free swimming lessons throughout the state to low-income families.
If signed into law by governor Ron DeSantis, the will would provide swimming lessons through a voucher program to children ages 4 or younger in families with an income level 200 percent below the federal poverty level.
According to the Miami New Times, the Florida House of Representatives approved the bill, SB 544, last week 114-0 after the measure passed the Senate 39-0 in February. The legislation had been introduced by Florida Sen. Travis Hutson of Palm Coast, along with South Florida state senators Lori Berman and Lauren Book.
"In the past, we've focused on how to physically make pools safer, but this bill is going to save lives by actually teaching high-risk kids how to swim," Hutson said in a public statement.
Drowning is the primary cause of accidental deaths in children ages 1 to 4 in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Florida, there were 97 child drownings in 2023.
Florida had the highest drowning per-capita drowning rate for children ages 1 to 9 from 2018 to 2020.
"There is nothing more important to parents than the health and well-being of their children," Busatta Cabrera, whose district includes Coral Gables, South Miami, Cutler Bay, and West Miami, said in a statement. "That’s why we've taken a giant step toward providing greater access to swimming lessons for young children in Florida."
