House Licensing & Administrative Procedures Committee
The meeting of the committee primarily focused on discussing various bills, including HB1800, which aims to establish safety standards for swim schools. The bill was introduced by Ms. Garcia, who shared a heart-wrenching personal story about her son, Mitchell, who drowned during a swim program due to inadequate safety protocols. This led to strong public testimony both supporting and opposing the bill, with many witnesses emphasizing the need for stringent regulations to protect children in swim schools. In contrast, some representatives voiced concerns about over-regulating well-established programs that already have safety measures in place.
Relating to the licensing and regulation of child swim instruction operators; requiring an occupational license; imposing an administrative penalty; authorizing fees.
Relating to a lottery game played or facilitated for play by telephone or through an Internet or mobile Internet application; creating criminal offenses.