RIVERVIEW, Fla. — Florida lawmakers hope to expand the state's swim voucher program and give more children access to life-saving skills.
Drowning is the number one cause of death for children 1-4 years old in the United States, according to the CDC.
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A bill has passed the House and Senate that would expand the age eligibility for the state's swim voucher program.
Under the bill, if the other program criteria are met, a child would be eligible between the ages of one and seven, rather than four years old and younger.
Kari Bahour is the owner of Watch Me Swim. She is also the founder of the non-profit organization, The Water Smart Tots Foundation.
She's passionate about teaching children how to swim. Her son nearly drowned when he was 16 months old.
"Twenty-seven years ago, my son when he was just 16 months old, he was found in a pool face down fully-clothed at 16 months old. There was no sound. It was silent. My friend happened to look out the window and she thought, we thought there was a doll in the pool," said Bahour.
Bahour said her son made a full recovery. For nearly 25 years, she has taught children life-saving skills.
"We automatically think we're going to hear a child yell for help if they're in trouble if they fall, but drowning is not like that," she said.
"The reality is — there is always going to be a momentary lapse in supervision and it’s just seconds, you know, we turn around, we answer the phone, we go to the bathroom," she said.
Stacey Hoaglund is President of Disability Advocacy and Support Specialists. She said expanding the program would be beneficial to children with autism.
"A lot of our families when their kids are just diagnosed, they're really not thinking about swim lessons. They're thinking about speech because they want their children to be able to talk to them and so that's where their time and resources are going to go," she said.
State data shows at least 19 children have drowned across the state so far this year.
These drownings have occurred in lakes, ponds, hot tubs and pools.
The latest drowning happened in Osceola County at a community swimming pool in April, according to state data.
If the bill is approved by the governor, it would take effect on July 1, 2026.
More about the state's program is available here
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