HB 1541 2023
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1541-00
Page 1 of 4
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to child water safety requirements; 2
providing a short title; creating s. 514.073, F.S.; 3
defining terms; providing that certain organizations 4
that care for or supervise children must require 5
parents or legal guardians to attest certain 6
information in writing before taking children under 7
their care or supervision to public bathing places or 8
public swimming pools; providing requirements for such 9
organizations when they conduct certain activities in 10
public bathing places or public swimming pools; 11
providing an exception; providing for disciplinary 12
action against such organizations for certain 13
violations; providing applicability; authorizing the 14
Department of Health to adopt rules; providing an 15
effective date. 16
17
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18
19
Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Kareem Angel 20
Green Act." 21
Section 2. Section 514.073, Florida Statutes, is create d 22
to read: 23
514.073 Child water safety requirements for certain 24
entities.— 25
HB 1541 2023
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1541-00
Page 2 of 4
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(1) As used in this section, the term: 26
(a) "Child" means a person younger than 12 years of age. 27
(b) "Organization" means a summer day camp, a summer 24 -28
hour camp, a school, a preschool, a kindergarten, a nursery 29
school, a child care facility as defined in s. 402.302, or any 30
other facility providing child care services which is licensed 31
by the Department of Children and Families. 32
(c) "Public swimming pool" has the same meanin g as in s. 33
514.011, but does not include a wading pool. 34
(d) "Wading pool" means a pool, including a pool that 35
contains a public interactive water feature or fountain, with a 36
maximum water depth of no more than 18 inches. 37
(2) An organization that takes a child in its care or 38
under its supervision to a public bathing place or a public 39
swimming pool or otherwise allows a child access to a public 40
bathing place or public swimming pool must require the child's 41
parent or legal guardian to attest in writing whe ther the child 42
is able to swim or is at risk of injury or death when swimming 43
or otherwise accessing a pool or body of water. 44
(3) Except as provided in subsection (4), if an 45
organization conducts an activity that provides a child in its 46
care or under its supervision access to a public bathing place 47
or a public swimming pool, during the time each child who is 48
unable to swim or is at risk of injury or death when swimming or 49
accessing a body of water is present within a fenced -in area 50
HB 1541 2023
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1541-00
Page 3 of 4
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
around a public bathing place or public swimming pool or within 51
100 feet of a public bathing place or public swimming pool 52
without a fenced-in area, the organization must: 53
(a) For a public bathing place, provide to the child a 54
Type II United States Coast Guard -approved personal flotation 55
device. 56
(b) For a public swimming pool, provide to the child a 57
Type II or Type III United States Coast Guard -approved personal 58
flotation device. 59
(c) Ensure that the personal flotation device that it 60
provides to the child is properly fitted to and fastened for the 61
child. 62
(4) An organization need not provide a child with a 63
flotation device as required under subsection (3) if the child 64
is actively participating in swimming instruction and the 65
organization ensures that each such child is supervised during 66
the instruction. 67
(5) An organization licensed or otherwise regulated by the 68
state which violates this section or rules adopted pursuant to 69
this section is subject to disciplinary action, including, bu t 70
not limited to, the imposition of an administrative penalty by 71
any state regulatory agency with the power to take disciplinary 72
action against that organization in the same manner as if the 73
organization violated that agency's licensing or other 74
regulatory laws or rules. 75
HB 1541 2023
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1541-00
Page 4 of 4
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(6) This section does not apply to child -placing agencies, 76
family foster homes, or residential child -caring agencies as 77
those terms are defined in s. 409.175(2). 78
(7) The department may adopt rules necessary to implement 79
this section. 80
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 81