Overview
- State data show 112 children have drowned in 2025, keeping Florida at the top nationally for child drowning deaths.
- SB 606/HB 503 would add evidence-based water-safety and safe-bathing materials to mandated postpartum education distributed by hospitals and birth providers.
- SB 610 would require pre-2000 residential pools to meet at least one current safety standard at the time of sale or transfer after Oct. 1, 2026.
- SB 608 would compel licensed vacation rentals with pools to install a basic protection such as a barrier, pool cover, or alarms, responding to a rise in incidents at short-term rentals reported by DCF.
- Advocates highlight disproportionate risks for low-income and Black children, note about one-quarter of recent deaths involved children with autism, and urge swim lessons plus active supervision with a designated water watcher.