THE BILL ITSELF
SB 428
Drowning Prevention
ENROLLED
2026
Legislature SB 428, 1st Engrossed 2026428er
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An act relating to drowning prevention; amending s.
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514.073, F.S.; revising the purpose of the Swimming
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Lesson Voucher Program; revising the age requirements
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for children receiving a voucher through the program;
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creating s. 383.3363, F.S.; requiring the Department
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of Health to develop educational materials on drowning
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prevention safety measures and safe bathing practices
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for specified purposes; specifying requirements for
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such materials; requiring hospitals, birth centers,
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and home birth providers to provide the educational
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materials to new parents and caregivers as part of
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their postpartum education and care; requiring
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childbirth educators to provide the informational
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materials to parents or caregivers receiving
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childbirth education; amending ss. 383.318 and
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395.1053, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made
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by the act; providing an effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Subsection (1) and paragraph (b) of subsection
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(2) of section 514.073, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
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514.073 Swimming Lesson Voucher Program.—
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(1) There is created within the department the Swimming
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Lesson Voucher Program. The purpose of the program is to
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increase water safety and prevent drownings in this state by
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offering vouchers for swimming lessons at no cost to families
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with an income of no more than 200 percent of the federal
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poverty level who have one or more children between 1 and 7 4
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years of age or younger .
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(2) The department shall do all of the following to
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implement the program:
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(b) Establish a method for members of the public to apply
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for swimming lesson vouchers and for determining an applicant’s
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eligibility. The department shall establish eligibility criteria
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necessary for a family to receive one or more vouchers from the
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program, including, but not limited to, the following:
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1. The age of each child for whom a voucher is being
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sought, who must be between 1 and 7 may be no more than 4 years
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of age.
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2. The family income level, which may be up to 200 percent
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of the federal poverty level.
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3. The family’s address of residency in this state.
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Section 2. Section 383.3363, Florida Statutes, is created
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to read:
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383.3363 Education on drowning prevention safety measures
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and safe bathing practices.—
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(1) The Department of Health shall develop educational
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materials on drowning prevention safety measures and safe
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bathing practices to be distributed to parents or caregivers as
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part of postpartum or childbirth education provided by
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hospitals, birth centers, home birth providers, and childbirth
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educators in this state. The materials must include, but need
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not be limited to, instruction on all of the following:
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(a) The increased risk of drowning for infants and toddlers
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in bathtubs, pools, and other water sources, citing available
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data on such drownings.
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(b) Water safety measures parents can employ to prevent
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drowning, emphasizing the importance of constant supervision of
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infants and children while they are around water and the
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benefits of early childhood swimming lessons and water
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competency programs as an added layer of protection from
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drowning.
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(c) Additional safety hazards in the home setting and
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evidence-based safe bathing practices.
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(2) Hospitals, birth centers, and home birth providers
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providing maternity, prenatal, and newborn services shall
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provide the educational materials developed under subsection (1)
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to the parents or caregivers of a newborn as part of their
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postpartum education and care.
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(3) Childbirth educators shall provide the educational
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materials developed under subsection (1) to the parents or
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caregivers receiving childbirth education.
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Section 3. Paragraph (j) is added to subsection (4) of
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section 383.318, Florida Statutes, to read:
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383.318 Postpartum care for birth center clients and
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infants.—
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(4) The birth center shall provide a postpartum evaluation
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and follow-up followup care that includes all of the following:
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(j) Provision of the educational materials on drowning
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prevention safety measures and safe bathing practices developed
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by the Department of Health under s. 383.3363.
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Section 4. Section 395.1053, Florida Statutes, is amended
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to read:
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395.1053 Postpartum education.—A hospital that provides
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birthing services shall provide each parent with postpartum
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education on the care of newborns, which must include all of the
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following:
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(1) incorporate Information on safe sleep practices and the
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possible causes of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death . into the
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hospital’s postpartum instruction on the care of newborns and
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provide to each parent
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(2) The informational pamphlet on infant and childhood eye
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and vision disorders created by the department pursuant to s.
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383.14(3)(h).
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(3) The educational materials on drowning prevention safety
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measures and safe bathing practices developed by the department
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under s. 383.3363.
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Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.