Everybody into the pool: Florida’s swim lessons voucher program may expand to include older children if either of two bills working their way through the Florida Legislature pass.
HB 85, filed by Rep. Kim Kendall, R-St. Augustine, and SB 428 from Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, would allow children aged 1 to 7 to qualify for vouchers for free swim classes by approved teachers. The current program, signed into law in 2024 to help teach children water safety and reduce the number of drownings, provides vouchers for low-income families of children up to 4 years old.
Both bills have been gliding through approvals by various committees. On Tuesday, Jan. 20, SB 428 was unanimously approved by the Senate Health Policy Committee. The House Health Care Budget Subcommittee approved HB 85 last week.
The new bills remove the existing voucher qualifications for children up to a year old. Speaking to the Senate Health Policy Committee, Yarborough said older children would benefit more as infants don’t really “learn” to swim as much as they act instinctively, Florida Politics reported.
Florida leading in child drowning deaths
The move could make a real difference in Florida, a state with over a million and a half swimming pools and 825 miles of beach. Drowning is the No. 1 cause of death for children aged 1-4 in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Florida is the national leader in unintentional drowning deaths for that age range.
In the last ten years, 895 children died by drowning in Florida, according to data from the Florida Department of Children and Families. Most of them were children 3 years old and under.
Many more are left alive but with serious outcomes including brain damage and long-term disabilities, the CDC said. Nearly 40% of drowning victims who make it to an emergency room require hospitalization or transfer for further care.
What is Florida’s Swimming Lesson Voucher program?
Started in 2024, the Swim Lesson Voucher Program provides vouchers for free swimming lessons to eligible families, while funding lasts.
To be considered eligible, families must have:
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Proof of Florida residency
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Child’s date of birth (only children four and younger at the time of application are eligible, at the moment)
To apply, go to floridahealth.gov/individual-family-health/child-infant-youth/drowning-prevention/swimmingvouchers/. Applications may only be accepted during certain times, when funding is available.
You can find a list of approved swimming lesson providers here.
How to prevent accidental drownings
The Florida Department of Health urges parents and guardians to be aware of the dangers in a state where water is everywhere. Drowning can be silent and can happen in minutes.
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Supervise the child(ren): Stepping away even for a few minutes can be catastrophic. Someone should always be actively watching when a child is in the pool or near water at the beach or lake.
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Put up barriers: It should not be possible for a child to get into a pool area unaccompanied. Use child locks on gates, put up pool fences with self-latching, self-closing gates, and add alarms to doors and windows with pool access.
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Cover your pool: Use only professional pool covers fitted for your pool; other covers could trap children in the water.
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Know what to do: Even if you’re not a parent or guardian, it’s important to learn CPR. The techniques are easy to learn and can mean the difference between life and death. Have a phone nearby at all times to call 911 in an emergency.
When would Florida’s expanded swim lessons voucher program start?
If passed, either bill would go into effect July 1, 2026.
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Swim lessons may be provided free to older Florida kids with vouchers
