New drowning prevention law to start July 1

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)— Starting July 1st, a new law will take effect to prevent childhood drowning.

In 2026, SB 428 drowning Prevention was passed unanimously, not a single 'nay' vote when passing through the Florida Senate and House.

The bill expands the swim lesson voucher program so children up to 7 can receive free swim lessons.

Hospitals, birth centers and home birth providers are now required to provide the educational materials to new parents and caregivers. The distribution will be incorporated into their existing postpartum education and care programs.

The bill is Florida's latest effort to address drowning risks, the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1-4.

Starting July 1st, the voucher program will covers qualifying children up to age seven. Dr. Lindsay Pursglove, owner and operator of Safe Splash Swim School locations across Florida is excited the program is expanding.

"We're seeing an increase again in the state of Florida for the drowning rate," Pursglove said. " It's great that they've expanded it to seven because we do see older kiddos that don't get to practice or haven't been exposed to the water, and they're just as fearful as babies coming in and crying because they've never been in lessons."

Families have to have an income below 200% of the poverty line to qualify for the program. If a child gets a voucher, they will receive eight, weekly half-hour lessons.

"We get a lot of families that are like, "Oh, my kid can swim. They can doggy paddle." That's so unsafe," said Pursglove. "Especially if you were in the ocean or a lake where you have, like, waves coming at you, plus you're scooping water into your mouth."

The curriculum prioritizes water adaptation as the foundation for all other skills. Students learn to put their faces in the water, blow bubbles and blink their eyes without panic before progressing to swimming techniques.

"If they get in the water and they panic, it doesn't matter what I teach them as far as back floats or kickers," Pursglove said.

Floating on your back 'like a boat', is one of the most critical survival skill taught in the program. Instructors teach students to maintain a flat position on their backs, allowing them to rest and call for help in any body of water.

"If all else fails, just float on your boat," Pursglove said. "You can lay there, you can relax, you can yell for help."

The program discourages doggy paddling, which Pursglove described as dangerous because it keeps the head up and scoops water into the mouth. Instead, instructors teach proper body position with straight kicks and larger arm strokes that propel swimmers forward efficiently.

" Then once they get the kick and they can start moving to the wall, then we give them arms, and we're talking a bigger stroke. We don't want doggy paddle arms," said Pursglove.

Pursglove said proper swim instruction reduces drowning risk by more than 88%. The skills become muscle memory that lasts a lifetime when practiced regularly.

"These skills, as minor as swimming can be for some people, it's lifesaving for others," Pursglove said.

Pursglove emphasized that swim lessons require ongoing practice, not a one-time commitment. As children's bodies change through growth spurts, their swimming abilities and water safety skills must adapt accordingly.

"A lot of families will tell us, 'Oh, they did lessons as a baby, they're good for life,' and that's not the case," Pursglove said.

SafeSplash Swim School locations across Florida serve 20 to 50 voucher students monthly. The voucher process requires time for state approval, school verification, class scheduling and attendance verification, which can delay immediate enrollment.

Families who miss lessons risk losing access to future vouchers, as attendance records are reported to the state. 

Local hospitals are working with the Department of Health to refine the material provided to new parents.

Statement from LeeHealth:

"Our postpartum booklets, provided to new parents before discharge, include information on safe newborn care and other recommended practices that promote infant health, safety and well-being.

We are assessing these materials and will include information from the Florida Department of Health to align with the new legislation.

We look forward to working closely with the DOH to provide the most current and essential information to new parents."