Legislation that would give more children a chance at swimming lessons is one step closer to law, and is even better after a friendly amendment from the opposition party was added before Senate passage.
SB 428, sponsored by Jacksonville Republican Sen. Clay Yarborough, would change eligibility for the vouchers to children ages 1 to 7 from 0 to 4.
“Drowning deaths in Florida have ranged between 350 and 500 deaths per year, a rate of approximately two deaths per 100,000 population. However, children aged 4 and under drown at nearly 3 times the rate, at approximately six per 100,000 population. Comparably, children between the ages of 1 and 7 drown at a rate of approximately five per 100,000, and made up nearly 20% of drowning deaths in Florida in 2024,” Yarborough said.
Yarborough noted that his bill aligns with recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
An amendment from Democratic Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith added language from a drowning prevention education bill (SB 606), which includes drowning and safe bathing practices in post-partum education. It also would require the Department of Health to provide educational measures about bathtub and pool safety, and would also encourage swimming lessons, such as those in the main bill.
Yarborough appreciated the bipartisan collaboration on the amendment, which was adopted without objection.
Sen. Gayle Harrell noted this was especially key for children with autism, who are especially prone to death from drowning. She lauded the combined bills as a “wonderful feat in bipartisanship.”
The House version, sponsored by Rep. Kim Kendall, is on the Second Reading calendar.
