By Merrilee Gasser, The Center Square
In Summary:
Senate Bill 428, introduced by Clay Yarborough, would increase eligibility for Florida’s Swim Lesson Voucher Program from ages 1–4 to ages 1–7. The program, created in 2024 to combat child drownings, has received far more applications than funding allows, prompting lawmakers to increase its budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Advocates say expanding access aligns with safety recommendations and could significantly reduce drowning risk among young children.
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A bill that would allow older children to apply for taxpayer-funded swimming lessons advanced in the state Senate on Thursday.
Senate Bill 428 would expand eligibility in Florida’s Swim Lesson Voucher Program from ages 1 to 4 to ages 1 to 7. The measure cleared the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee, while its companion bill in the House is ready for a floor vote.
Related: 5 Reasons Why Swimming is Beneficial for Baby Development.
The program has garnered much interest since it was created in 2024 to prevent child drownings. Families with incomes of no more than 200% of federal poverty guidelines are eligible to use the vouchers for free swimming lessons with providers listed on the Department of Health’s website. The vouchers are provided until all of the program’s funding has been exhausted, according to the website.
The program received $843,400 for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, but interest far exceeded the available funds. Of the more than 16,000 applications received in the first year, 4,945 were awarded vouchers.
The legislature increased the program's funding to $1 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and required the health department to prioritize applications from active-duty military families and families of children with autism.
Maija Hahn, a speech-language pathologist and autism specialist who supports expanding the program, said that water safety is not just optional but urgent for children with autism.
“Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 in Florida, but for children with autism, the risk is exponentially higher,” Hahn said during the committee meeting. “Research shows that they are approximately 160 times more likely to die from drowning than their neurotypical peers. Nearly 50% of children with autism will wander or elope from safe environments, and when they do, water is the most common site of fatal outcomes.”
Florida has seen between 350 and 500 drowning deaths per year since 2005. Children between the ages of 1 and 7 made up nearly 20% of the state’s drowning deaths in 2024, according to Sen. Clay Yarborough, a Jacksonville Republican who introduced the bill. He said studies indicate that swimming lessons are associated with an 88% reduction in drowning risk.
Yarborough said expanding the age eligibility would bring the program in line with study recommendations from the YMCA and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Will Moffitt, a 15-year-old volunteer swim instructor who urged legislators last year to expand the program, said it currently ends when children reach the age at which they can learn to swim independently.
“I believe that including elementary school children in the swim voucher program is critically important for reducing Florida’s high drowning death rates,” said Moffitt. “My experience as a swim instructor led me to do this. I first began volunteering as a swim instructor three years ago. During my first summer, we had about 25 elementary-school-aged children and only one or two certified instructors. With so many kids and so few resources, we simply couldn’t teach everybody to swim.”
He said he hopes the bill will lead to more resources, such as qualified swim instructors, to meet demand.
Key Points:
- Senate Bill 428 would expand swim voucher eligibility from ages 1–4 to ages 1–7.
- More than 16,000 families applied in the program’s first year; fewer than 5,000 received vouchers.
- Funding increased from $843,400 to $1 million for the upcoming fiscal year.
- Lawmakers prioritized military families and families of children with autism.
- Studies cited by supporters show swim lessons may reduce drowning risk by 88%.
