Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law Tuesday that expands the state\u2019s swimming lesson voucher program, making children between the ages of 1 and 7- eligible for the state\u2019s swimming lesson voucher program. Before the expansion, it was only available to children 4 years old and under.<\/p>\n
Drowning is the leading cause of accidental deaths in children between the ages of 1 and 4 in Florida. According to the Florida Senate\u2019s Bill Analysis and Fiscal Statement<\/a>, children between the ages of 1 to 7 made up nearly 20% of the drawing deaths in the state in 2024.<\/p>\n State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) said the legislation is centered around prevention. It was inspired by advocates and families who had a drowning tragedy and want to help save lives.<\/p>\n \u201cIt ensures that new parents have access to drowning prevention information resources,\u201d Eskamani said. \u201cIt requires that those parents be educated on the risks of drowning, including in something as daily as bath time\u2026our hope is by expanding the eligibility for that program, more kiddos can get trained on how to swim and be able to teach others around them to protect themselves and protect others.\u201d<\/p>\n