By Dallas Thiesen
On Monday, April 15, 2024, Governor DeSantis signed SB 544, which creates a swim lesson voucher program for families with young children in the State of Florida.
During the 2024 legislative session, FSPA collaborated with Senator Travis Hutson and co-sponsors to make crucial amendments to SB 544, as well as the house companion bill HB 581, to increase the value and effectiveness of the voucher program created by the bill. Under the provisions of SB 544, any Florida family with children four years of age or younger can qualify for swim lesson vouchers that cover or offset the cost of childhood swim lessons.
The next step for implementation of SB 544 is the creation of Florida Department of Health’s rules to govern the project. FSPA is taking a leading role in the rule development process and will be working with the Department of Health to ensure that the program is implemented in the most efficient and effective manner possible. SB 544 specifies that the Department of Health will engage in contracts with non-profit organizations and/or swim lesson providers to provide the swim lessons offered under the voucher program. The Florida Swims Foundation will be proactively seeking a contract with the Department of Health under this program to get all of the swim lesson providers the foundation currently works with plugged in and delivering lessons under the voucher program.
The establishment of a statewide childhood swim lesson voucher program is a tremendous step forward for the State of Florida in reducing drowning injuries and deaths. FSPA is proud to have worked on the successful passage of this bill and is looking forward to playing a key role in this program’s implementation.
If you have any questions about SB 544, please email Dallas Thiesen, FSPA Chief Government Relations Officer, at Dallas@FSPA.com.
