Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0413 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	HB 413 2025
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
8	8	hb413-00
9	9	Page 1 of 18
10	10	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
11	11
12	12
13	13
14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to swimming safety; creating s. 2
16	16	514.0731, F.S.; providing a short title; providing 3
17	17	definitions; prohibiting organizations from granting 4
18	18	water access at public bathing places or public 5
19	19	swimming pools to certain children without first being 6
20	20	provided specified information; requiring 7
21	21	organizations to provide specified personal flotation 8
22	22	devices to certain children; providing an alternative 9
23	23	for providing children with personal flotation 10
24	24	devices; requiring organizations to properly fit 11
25	25	certain children with personal flotation devices that 12
26	26	the organization provides; providing exceptions; 13
27	27	providing penalties for violations; authorizing public 14
28	28	bathing places and public swimming pools to refuse 15
29	29	water access to certain children whose parents or 16
30	30	legal guardians have not provided specified 17
31	31	information; authorizing public bathing places and 18
32	32	public swimming pools to loan or rent for use 19
33	33	specified personal flotation devices for certain 20
34	34	purposes; authorizing the Department Health to adopt 21
35	35	rules; revising the t itle of ch. 515, F.S.; 22
36	36	designating part I of ch. 515, F.S., entitled 23
37	37	"Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act"; amending ss. 24
38	38	515.21, 515.23, 515.25, 515.31, 515.33, 515.35, and 25
39	39
40	40	HB 413 2025
41	41
42	42
43	43
44	44	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
45	45	hb413-00
46	46	Page 2 of 18
47	47	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
48	48
49	49
50	50
51	51	515.37, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made by 26
52	52	the act; creating part II o f ch. 515, F.S., entitled 27
53	53	"Open Water Safety"; creating s. 515.41, F.S.; 28
54	54	providing a short title; creating s. 515.42, F.S.; 29
55	55	providing legislative intent; creating s. 515.43, 30
56	56	F.S.; providing definitions; creating s. 515.44, F.S.; 31
57	57	requiring certain counties and municipalities to 32
58	58	create pilot programs to install drowning prevention 33
59	59	stations at high-risk water access areas; providing 34
60	60	specifications regarding the locations of such 35
61	61	drowning prevention stations; specifying information 36
62	62	that each participating count y and municipality must 37
63	63	provide to the Department of Environmental Protection 38
64	64	following conclusion of the pilot program; requiring 39
65	65	the department to submit a final report to Governor 40
66	66	and Legislature; providing contents of the report; 41
67	67	creating s. 515.45, F. S.; encouraging local 42
68	68	governments to implement sponsorship programs with 43
69	69	businesses to help fund drowning prevention stations; 44
70	70	specifying uses for such funds; creating s. 515.46, 45
71	71	F.S.; requiring the department to coordinate a public 46
72	72	awareness campaign deal ing with water safety during 47
73	73	implementation of the pilot program; creating s. 48
74	74	515.47, F.S.; authorizing the department to adopt 49
75	75	rules; amending s. 1003.225, F.S.; requiring parents 50
76	76
77	77	HB 413 2025
78	78
79	79
80	80
81	81	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
82	82	hb413-00
83	83	Page 3 of 18
84	84	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
85	85
86	86
87	87
88	88	or legal guardians of students with autism to provide 51
89	89	specified information regarding water safety and 52
90	90	swimming certifications to the child's public school 53
91	91	at specified intervals; providing an effective date. 54
92	92	55
93	93	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 56
94	94	57
95	95	Section 1. Section 2 of this act may be cited as the 58
96	96	"Kareem Angel Green Autism Drowning Prevention Act." 59
97	97	Section 2. Section 514.0731, Florida Statutes, is created 60
98	98	to read: 61
99	99	514.0731 Child water safety requirements. — 62
100	100	(1) As used in this section, the term: 63
101	101	(a) "Child" means a person 12 years of age or younger and 64
102	102	includes a person who has been diagnosed with autism, as that 65
103	103	term is defined in s. 393.063, who is 18 years of age or 66
104	104	younger. 67
105	105	(b) "Organization" means a summer day camp, a summer camp 68
106	106	having children in full -time residence, a school, a pre school, a 69
107	107	kindergarten, a nursery school, or a child care center or 70
108	108	arrangement that provides child care for more than five children 71
109	109	unrelated to the operator and that receives a payment, fee, or 72
110	110	grant for any of the children receiving care, wherever opera ted 73
111	111	and whether or not operated for profit. The term does not 74
112	112	include: 75
113	113
114	114	HB 413 2025
115	115
116	116
117	117
118	118	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
119	119	hb413-00
120	120	Page 4 of 18
121	121	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
122	122
123	123
124	124
125	125	1. A residential boarding school that allows an employee, 76
126	126	a family member of an employee, or a guest of an employee to use 77
127	127	a body of water at the school for recreational purposes. 78
128	128	2. Any child-placing agency, family foster home, or 79
129	129	residential child-caring agency as those terms are defined in s. 80
130	130	409.175(2). 81
131	131	3. A child care facility licensed under s. 402.305. 82
132	132	(c) "Public swimming pool" has the same meaning as in s. 83
133	133	514.011 but does not include a wading pool, which is a pool that 84
134	134	contains a public interactive water feature or fountain, with a 85
135	135	maximum water depth of no more than 18 inches. 86
136	136	(2)(a) An organization may not allow water access at a 87
137	137	public bathing place or public swimmin g pool to any child who is 88
138	138	in its care or supervision without first requiring the parent or 89
139	139	legal guardian to provide to the organization one of the 90
140	140	following: 91
141	141	1. A certification from the American Red Cross, the 92
142	142	Y.M.C.A., or other nationally recognized aquatic training 93
143	143	program certifying the child's swimming proficiency; 94
144	144	2. A written attestation signed by the parent or legal 95
145	145	guardian that the child is able to swim proficiently; or 96
146	146	3. A written waiver signed by the parent or legal guardian 97
147	147	acknowledging that the child is unable to swim or is at risk of 98
148	148	injury when swimming. The waiver must release the organization 99
149	149	from responsibility if the child is injured or drowns as a 100
150	150
151	151	HB 413 2025
152	152
153	153
154	154
155	155	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
156	156	hb413-00
157	157	Page 5 of 18
158	158	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
159	159
160	160
161	161
162	162	result of the child's inability to swim proficiently. 101
163	163	(b) An organization may refuse water access to a child 102
164	164	whose parent or legal guardian has not provided the required 103
165	165	documentation. 104
166	166	(3)(a) Except as provided in subsection (4), the 105
167	167	organization must provide ea ch child who is unable to swim or is 106
168	168	at risk of injury when swimming as acknowledged by a parent or 107
169	169	legal guardian in subparagraph (2)(a)3. one of the following: 108
170	170	1. For a public bathing place, a Type II United States 109
171	171	Coast Guard-approved personal flotati on device in the color of 110
172	172	international orange; or 111
173	173	2. For a public swimming pool, a Type II or Type III 112
174	174	United States Coast Guard -approved personal flotation device. 113
175	175	(b) In lieu of providing personal flotation devices, the 114
176	176	organization can determine wh ether the public bathing place or 115
177	177	public swimming pool has a supply of the appropriate United 116
178	178	States Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices for use 117
179	179	by each child who is not proficient in swimming. However, a 118
180	180	public bathing place or public swimming pool is not required to 119
181	181	keep a supply of personal flotation devices for use by the 120
182	182	organization. 121
183	183	(c) The organization must properly fit and fasten to a 122
184	184	child any personal flotation device that the organization 123
185	185	provides. 124
186	186	(4) An organization is not req uired to provide a child 125
187	187
188	188	HB 413 2025
189	189
190	190
191	191
192	192	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
193	193	hb413-00
194	194	Page 6 of 18
195	195	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
196	196
197	197
198	198
199	199	with a personal flotation device as required under subsection 126
200	200	(3) if the child is actively participating in swimming 127
201	201	instruction or a swimming competition and the organization 128
202	202	ensures that the child is supervised during the instruc tion or 129
203	203	competition. 130
204	204	(5) An organization licensed or regulated by the state 131
205	205	that violates this section or rules adopted under this section 132
206	206	may be subject to disciplinary action, including, but not 133
207	207	limited to, the imposition of an administrative penalty b y the 134
208	208	Department of Health. 135
209	209	(6)(a) A public bathing place or public swimming pool may 136
210	210	refuse water access to a child who comes to a bathing place or 137
211	211	swimming pool unless the parent or legal guardian first provides 138
212	212	one of the following documents: 139
213	213	1. A certification of the child's swimming proficiency 140
214	214	from the American Red Cross, the Y.M.C.A., or other nationally 141
215	215	recognized aquatic training program; 142
216	216	2. A written attestation that the child is able to swim 143
217	217	proficiently; or 144
218	218	3. A written signed waiver a cknowledging that the child is 145
219	219	unable to swim or is at risk of injury or death when swimming. 146
220	220	(b) A public bathing place or public swimming pool may 147
221	221	offer to loan or rent for use by children whose parents or legal 148
222	222	guardians have signed the written waiver : 149
223	223	1. For a public bathing place, a Type II United States 150
224	224
225	225	HB 413 2025
226	226
227	227
228	228
229	229	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
230	230	hb413-00
231	231	Page 7 of 18
232	232	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
233	233
234	234
235	235
236	236	Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device in the color of 151
237	237	international orange. 152
238	238	2. For a public swimming pool, a Type II or Type III 153
239	239	United States Coast Guard -approved personal flotation dev ice. 154
240	240	(7) Each public bathing place and public swimming pool 155
241	241	must prominently display a sign near the check -in area which 156
242	242	describes the dangers of water and swimming pools to children. 157
243	243	The sign should include information provided in "12 Things 158
244	244	Parents of Children with Autism Need to Know About Drowning 159
245	245	Prevention" from the Autism Society of Florida. 160
246	246	(8) The department may adopt rules necessary to implement 161
247	247	this section. 162
248	248	Section 3. Chapter 515, Florida Statutes, entitled 163
249	249	"RESIDENTIAL SWIMMING POOL SAF ETY ACT" is renamed "SWIMMING POOL 164
250	250	AND PUBLIC WATER SAFETY ACT." 165
251	251	Section 4. Sections 515.21 through 515.37, Florida 166
252	252	Statutes, are designated as part I of chapter 515, Florida 167
253	253	Statutes, and entitled "Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act." 168
254	254	Section 5. Section 515.21, Florida Statutes, is amended to 169
255	255	read: 170
256	256	515.21 Short title. —This part chapter may be cited as the 171
257	257	"Preston de Ibern/McKenzie Merriam Residential Swimming Pool 172
258	258	Safety Act." 173
259	259	Section 6. Section 515.23, Florida Statutes, is amended to 174
260	260	read: 175
261	261
262	262	HB 413 2025
263	263
264	264
265	265
266	266	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
267	267	hb413-00
268	268	Page 8 of 18
269	269	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
270	270
271	271
272	272
273	273	515.23 Legislative findings and intent. —The Legislature 176
274	274	finds that drowning is the leading cause of death of young 177
275	275	children in this state and is also a significant cause of death 178
276	276	for medically frail elderly persons in this state, that constant 179
277	277	adult supervision is the key to accomplishing the objective of 180
278	278	reducing the number of submersion incidents, and that when 181
279	279	lapses in supervision occur a pool safety feature designed to 182
280	280	deny, delay, or detect unsupervised entry to the swimming pool, 183
281	281	spa, or hot tub will reduce drowning and near -drowning 184
282	282	incidents. In addition to the incalculable human cost of these 185
283	283	submersion incidents, the health care costs, loss of lifetime 186
284	284	productivity, and legal and administrative expenses associated 187
285	285	with drownings of young c hildren and medically frail elderly 188
286	286	persons in this state each year and the lifetime costs for the 189
287	287	care and treatment of young children who have suffered brain 190
288	288	disability due to near -drowning incidents each year are 191
289	289	enormous. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that 192
290	290	all new residential swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs be 193
291	291	equipped with at least one pool safety feature as specified in 194
292	292	this part chapter. It is also the intent of the Legislature that 195
293	293	the Department of Health be responsible for prod ucing its own or 196
294	294	adopting a nationally recognized publication that provides the 197
295	295	public with information on drowning prevention and the 198
296	296	responsibilities of pool ownership and also for developing its 199
297	297	own or adopting a nationally recognized drowning preventio n 200
298	298
299	299	HB 413 2025
300	300
301	301
302	302
303	303	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
304	304	hb413-00
305	305	Page 9 of 18
306	306	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
307	307
308	308
309	309
310	310	education program for the public and for persons violating the 201
311	311	pool safety requirements of this part chapter. 202
312	312	Section 7. Section 515.25, Florida Statutes, is amended to 203
313	313	read: 204
314	314	515.25 Definitions. —As used in this part chapter, the 205
315	315	term: 206
316	316	(1) "Approved safety pool cover" means a manually or 207
317	317	power-operated safety pool cover that meets all of the 208
318	318	performance standards of the American Society for Testing and 209
319	319	Materials (ASTM) in compliance with standard F1346 -91. 210
320	320	(2) "Barrier" means a fence, dwelling wa ll, or nondwelling 211
321	321	wall, or any combination thereof, which completely surrounds the 212
322	322	swimming pool and obstructs access to the swimming pool, 213
323	323	especially access from the residence or from the yard outside 214
324	324	the barrier. 215
325	325	(3) "Department" means the Department of Health. 216
326	326	(4) "Exit alarm" means a device that makes audible, 217
327	327	continuous alarm sounds when any door or window which permits 218
328	328	access from the residence to any pool area that is without an 219
329	329	intervening enclosure is opened or left ajar. 220
330	330	(5) "Indoor swimmin g pool" means a swimming pool that is 221
331	331	totally contained within a building and surrounded on all four 222
332	332	sides by walls of or within the building. 223
333	333	(6) "Medically frail elderly person" means any person who 224
334	334	is at least 65 years of age and has a medical problem that 225
335	335
336	336	HB 413 2025
337	337
338	338
339	339
340	340	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
341	341	hb413-00
342	342	Page 10 of 18
343	343	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
344	344
345	345
346	346
347	347	affects balance, vision, or judgment, including, but not limited 226
348	348	to, a heart condition, diabetes, or Alzheimer's disease or any 227
349	349	related disorder. 228
350	350	(7) "Outdoor swimming pool" means any swimming pool that 229
351	351	is not an indoor swimming pool. 230
352	352	(8) "Portable spa" means a nonpermanent structure intended 231
353	353	for recreational bathing, in which all controls and water -232
354	354	heating and water-circulating equipment are an integral part of 233
355	355	the product and which is cord -connected and not permanently 234
356	356	electrically wired. 235
357	357	(9) "Public swimming pool" means a swimming pool, as 236
358	358	defined in s. 514.011(2), which is operated, with or without 237
359	359	charge, for the use of the general public; however, the term 238
360	360	does not include a swimming pool located on the grounds of a 239
361	361	private residence. 240
362	362	(10) "Residential" means situated on the premises of a 241
363	363	detached one-family or two-family dwelling or a one -family 242
364	364	townhouse not more than three stories high. 243
365	365	(11) "Swimming pool" means any structure, located in a 244
366	366	residential area, that is intended for swimm ing or recreational 245
367	367	bathing and contains water over 24 inches deep, including, but 246
368	368	not limited to, in-ground, aboveground, and on -ground swimming 247
369	369	pools; hot tubs; and nonportable spas. 248
370	370	(12) "Young child" means any person under the age of 6 249
371	371	years. 250
372	372
373	373	HB 413 2025
374	374
375	375
376	376
377	377	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
378	378	hb413-00
379	379	Page 11 of 18
380	380	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
381	381
382	382
383	383
384	384	Section 8. Subsection (1) of section 515.31, Florida 251
385	385	Statutes, is amended to read: 252
386	386	515.31 Drowning prevention education program; public 253
387	387	information publication. — 254
388	388	(1) The department shall develop a drowning prevention 255
389	389	education program, which shall be made available to the public 256
390	390	at the state and local levels and which shall be required as set 257
391	391	forth in s. 515.27(2) for persons in violation of the pool 258
392	392	safety requirements of this part chapter. The department may 259
393	393	charge a fee, not to exceed $100, for attendan ce at such a 260
394	394	program. The drowning prevention education program shall be 261
395	395	funded using fee proceeds, state funds appropriated for such 262
396	396	purpose, and grants. The department, in lieu of developing its 263
397	397	own program, may adopt a nationally recognized drowning 264
398	398	prevention education program to be approved for use in local 265
399	399	safety education programs, as provided in rule of the 266
400	400	department. 267
401	401	Section 9. Section 515.33, Florida Statutes, is amended to 268
402	402	read: 269
403	403	515.33 Information required to be furnished to buyers. —A 270
404	404	licensed pool contractor, on entering into an agreement with a 271
405	405	buyer to build a residential swimming pool, or a licensed home 272
406	406	builder or developer, on entering into an agreement with a buyer 273
407	407	to build a house that includes a residential swimming pool, must 274
408	408	give the buyer a document containing the requirements of this 275
409	409
410	410	HB 413 2025
411	411
412	412
413	413
414	414	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
415	415	hb413-00
416	416	Page 12 of 18
417	417	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
418	418
419	419
420	420
421	421	part chapter and a copy of the publication produced by the 276
422	422	department under s. 515.31 that provides information on drowning 277
423	423	prevention and the responsibilities of pool ownership. 278
424	424	Section 10. Section 515.35, Florida Statutes, is amended 279
425	425	to read: 280
426	426	515.35 Rulemaking authority. —The department shall adopt 281
427	427	rules pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act establishing 282
428	428	the fees required to attend drowning prevention education 283
429	429	programs and setting fort h the information required under this 284
430	430	part chapter to be provided by licensed pool contractors and 285
431	431	licensed home builders or developers. 286
432	432	Section 11. Section 515.37, Florida Statutes, is amended 287
433	433	to read: 288
434	434	515.37 Exemptions.—This part chapter does not apply to: 289
435	435	(1) Any system of sumps, irrigation canals, or irrigation 290
436	436	flood control or drainage works constructed or operated for the 291
437	437	purpose of storing, delivering, distributing, or conveying 292
438	438	water. 293
439	439	(2) Stock ponds, storage tanks, livestock operations, 294
440	440	livestock watering troughs, or other structures used in normal 295
441	441	agricultural practices. 296
442	442	(3) Public swimming pools. 297
443	443	(4) Any political subdivision that has adopted or adopts a 298
444	444	residential pool safety ordinance, provided the ordinance is 299
445	445	equal to or more stringent than the provisions of this part 300
446	446
447	447	HB 413 2025
448	448
449	449
450	450
451	451	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
452	452	hb413-00
453	453	Page 13 of 18
454	454	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
455	455
456	456
457	457
458	458	chapter. 301
459	459	(5) Any portable spa with a safety cover that complies 302
460	460	with ASTM F1346-91 (Standard Performance Specification for 303
461	461	Safety Covers and Labeling Requirements for All Covers for 304
462	462	Swimming Pools, Spas and Hot Tu bs). 305
463	463	(6) Small, temporary pools without motors, which are 306
464	464	commonly referred to or known as "kiddie pools." 307
465	465	Section 12. Sections 515.41 through 515.48, Florida 308
466	466	Statutes, are designated as part II of chapter 515, Florida 309
467	467	Statutes, and entitled "OPEN WA TER SAFETY." 310
468	468	Section 13. Section 515.41, Florida Statutes, is created 311
469	469	to read: 312
470	470	515.41 Short title. —This part may be cited as the "Open 313
471	471	Water Safety Act." 314
472	472	Section 14. Section 515.42, Florida Statutes, is created 315
473	473	to read: 316
474	474	515.42 Legislative findings and intent. —The Legislature 317
475	475	finds that drowning is a leading cause of accidental death in 318
476	476	the state, particularly in open water environments. The 319
477	477	Legislature further finds that the installation of life -saving 320
478	478	equipment, including life -saving ring buoys and drowning 321
479	479	prevention stations, significantly reduces the risk of drowning. 322
480	480	It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that all public 323
481	481	water access areas are equipped with life -saving equipment to 324
482	482	enhance public safety and save lives. 325
483	483
484	484	HB 413 2025
485	485
486	486
487	487
488	488	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
489	489	hb413-00
490	490	Page 14 of 18
491	491	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
492	492
493	493
494	494
495	495	Section 15. Section 515.43, Florida Statutes, is created 326
496	496	to read: 327
497	497	515.43 Definitions. — 328
498	498	As used in this part, the term: 329
499	499	(1) "Department" means the Department of Environmental 330
500	500	Protection. 331
501	501	(2) "Drowning prevention station" means a publicly 332
502	502	accessible station equipped to provide immediate assistance in 333
503	503	water emergencies. A drowning prevention station shall include 334
504	504	life-saving ring buoys, support posts, and signage and may 335
505	505	include: 336
506	506	(a) SMART technology capable of alerting 911 when a life -337
507	507	saving ring buoy is deployed. 338
508	508	(b) Audible alarms to notify nearby individuals of an 339
509	509	emergency. 340
510	510	(c) Cameras and GPS tracking to assist emergency 341
511	511	responders. 342
512	512	(3) "Public water access areas" means beaches or 343
513	513	lakefronts with public access providing swimmable open waters. 344
514	514	(4) "SMART technology" includes equipment with features 345
515	515	such as 911 alert systems, audible alarms, cameras, and GPS 346
516	516	tracking to enhance emergency response. 347
517	517	Section 16. Section 515.44, Florida Statutes, is created 348
518	518	to read: 349
519	519	515.44 Pilot program and pha sed implementation.— 350
520	520
521	521	HB 413 2025
522	522
523	523
524	524
525	525	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
526	526	hb413-00
527	527	Page 15 of 18
528	528	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
529	529
530	530
531	531
532	532	(1) No later than October 1, 2025, each county with a 351
533	533	population greater than 250,000 and each municipality with a 352
534	534	population greater than 100,000 as estimated by the Office of 353
535	535	Economic and Demographic Research on April 1, 2025, shal l create 354
536	536	and oversee a pilot program to install drowning prevention 355
537	537	stations at high-risk public water access areas. For purposes of 356
538	538	this subsection, the term "high -risk public water access areas" 357
539	539	means public water access areas within the county or 358
540	540	municipality at which drownings or swimming emergency events 359
541	541	have occurred or are occurring at a rate higher than in other 360
542	542	public water access areas within that county or municipality. 361
543	543	(2) Each station must, at a minimum, contain one type of 362
544	544	drowning prevention station and each station must be placed at 363
545	545	least every 1,000 feet along the shoreline of the high -risk 364
546	546	public water access areas. 365
547	547	(3) Each participating county and municipality must 366
548	548	provide the following information to the department no later 367
549	549	than December 1, 2025: 368
550	550	(a) The number of high -risk public water access areas the 369
551	551	county or municipality included in its pilot program. 370
552	552	(b) An identification of the type of drowning prevention 371
553	553	stations that were set up at each high -risk public water access 372
554	554	area. 373
555	555	(c) The number of drownings or swimming emergency events 374
556	556	that occurred at each high -risk public water access area for 375
557	557
558	558	HB 413 2025
559	559
560	560
561	561
562	562	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
563	563	hb413-00
564	564	Page 16 of 18
565	565	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
566	566
567	567
568	568
569	569	each month for the 2 years before the start of the pilot 376
570	570	program. 377
571	571	(d) The number of drownings or swimming emergency events 378
572	572	that occurred at each high-risk public water access area for 379
573	573	each month during the pilot program. 380
574	574	(e) The number of times the drowning prevention stations 381
575	575	were used during the pilot program. 382
576	576	(4)(a) The department must submit to the Governor, the 383
577	577	President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of 384
578	578	Representatives a final report that: 385
579	579	1. Summarizes the results of the pilot program within each 386
580	580	participating county and municipality. 387
581	581	2. Describes a phased implementation plan to expand the 388
582	582	program statewide if the pilot program demonstrates that the 389
583	583	addition of drowning prevention stations prevented drownings or 390
584	584	assisted during swimming emergency events. The phased 391
585	585	implementation plan must also include public water access areas 392
586	586	located within the jurisdiction o f the state for installation of 393
587	587	drowning prevention stations. 394
588	588	(b) If the department provides recommendations for a 395
589	589	phased implementation plan, the phased implementation plan must: 396
590	590	1. Consider the ability and necessity of the rural 397
591	591	counties and municipa lities to set up drowning prevention 398
592	592	stations. 399
593	593	2. Provide recommended distances, expressed in linear 400
594	594
595	595	HB 413 2025
596	596
597	597
598	598
599	599	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
600	600	hb413-00
601	601	Page 17 of 18
602	602	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
603	603
604	604
605	605
606	606	feet, that each drowning prevention station should be from the 401
607	607	next drowning prevention station along a shoreline. 402
608	608	3. Determine whether drowning preven tion stations should 403
609	609	be set up at every public water access area or only at high -risk 404
610	610	public water access areas. 405
611	611	Section 17. Section 515.45, Florida Statutes, is created 406
612	612	to read: 407
613	613	515.45 Local business sponsorship program. — 408
614	614	(1) Each county and municipality that participates in the 409
615	615	pilot program is encouraged to implement a sponsorship program 410
616	616	to allow businesses to fund drowning prevention stations in 411
617	617	exchange for advertising space at the stations. 412
618	618	(2) Funds generated from sponsorships must be used for the 413
619	619	installation, maintenance, and operation of the stations. 414
620	620	Section 18. Section 515.46, Florida Statutes, is created 415
621	621	to read: 416
622	622	515.46 Public awareness campaign. —During implementation of 417
623	623	the pilot program, the department must coordinate a p ublic 418
624	624	awareness campaign to educate the public on water safety, the 419
625	625	use of drowning prevention equipment, and the meaning of beach 420
626	626	safety flags. 421
627	627	Section 19. Section 515.47, Florida Statutes, is created 422
628	628	to read: 423
629	629	515.47 Rulemaking authority. —The department may adopt 424
630	630	rules to implement the provisions of this part. 425
631	631
632	632	HB 413 2025
633	633
634	634
635	635
636	636	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
637	637	hb413-00
638	638	Page 18 of 18
639	639	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
640	640
641	641
642	642
643	643	Section 20. Subsection (2) of section 1003.225, Florida 426
644	644	Statutes, is amended to read: 427
645	645	1003.225 Water safety and swimming certification. — 428
646	646	(2)(a) Beginning with the 2022 -2023 school year, each 429
647	647	public school shall provide, to a parent who initially enrolls 430
648	648	his or her child in the school, information on the important 431
649	649	role water safety education courses and swimming lessons play in 432
650	650	saving lives. The information must be provided electronically or 433
651	651	in hard copy and must include local options for age -appropriate 434
652	652	water safety courses and swimming lessons that result in a 435
653	653	certificate indicating successful completion, including courses 436
654	654	and lessons offered for free or at a reduced price. If the 437
655	655	student is 18 years of age or older, or is under the age of 21 438
656	656	and is enrolling in adult education classes, the information 439
657	657	must be provided to the student. 440
658	658	(b) Beginning with the 2025 -2026 school year, the parent 441
659	659	or legal guardian of each student who has been diagnosed with 442
660	660	autism, as that term is defined in s. 393.063, regardless of the 443
661	661	level of diagnosis, must provide information electronically or 444
662	662	in hard copy related to water safety and swimming certifications 445
663	663	to the child's public school on an annual basis . 446
664	664	Section 21. This act shall take effect upon becoming a 447
665	665	law. 448