Florida HB 503: Drowning Prevention Education

Bill Text

CS/HB 503 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb503-01-c1
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to drowning prevention education; 2
creating s. 383.3363, F.S.; requiring the Department 3
of Health to develop educational materials on drowning 4
prevention safety measures and safe bathing practices 5
for specified purposes; providing requirements for 6
such materials; requiring hospitals, birth centers, 7
and home birth providers to provide the educational 8
materials to new parents and caregivers as part of 9
their postpartum education and care; requiring 10
childbirth educators to provide the informational 11
materials to parents or caregivers receiving 12
childbirth education from them; amending ss. 383.318 13
and 395.1053, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes 14
made by the act; providing an effective date. 15
16
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
18
Section 1. Section 383.3363, Florida Statutes, is created 19
to read: 20
383.3363 Education on drowning prevention safety measures 21
and safe bathing practices.— 22
(1) The Department of Health shall develop educational 23
materials on drowning prevention safety measures and safe 24
bathing practices to be distributed to parents or caregivers as 25

CS/HB 503 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb503-01-c1
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

part of postpartum or childbirth education provided by 26
hospitals, birth centers, home birth providers, and childbirth 27
educators in this state. The materials must include, but need 28
not be limited to, instruction on all of the following: 29
(a) The increased risk of drowning for infants and 30
toddlers in bathtubs, pools, and other water sources, citing 31
available data on such drownings. 32
(b) Water safety measures parents can employ to prevent 33
drowning, emphasizing the importance of constant supervision of 34
infants and children while they are around water and the 35
benefits of early childhood swimming lessons and water 36
competency programs as an added layer of protection from 37
drownings. 38
(c) Additional safety hazards in the home setting and 39
evidence-based safe bathing practices. 40
(2) Each hospital, birth center, and home birth provider 41
providing maternity, prenatal, and newborn services shall 42
provide the educational materials developed under subsection (1) 43
to the parents or caregivers of a newborn as part of its 44
postpartum education and care. 45
(3) Childbirth educators shall provide the educational 46
materials developed under subsection (1) to the parents or 47
caregivers receiving childbirth education. 48
Section 2. Paragraph (j) is added to subsection (4) of 49
section 383.318, Florida Statutes, to read: 50

CS/HB 503 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb503-01-c1
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

383.318 Postpartum care for birth center clients and 51
infants.— 52
(4) The birth center shall provide a postpartum evaluation 53
and followup care that includes all of the following: 54
(j) Provision of the educational materials on drowning 55
prevention safety measures and safe bathing practices developed 56
by the Department of Health under s. 383.3363. 57
Section 3. Section 395.1053, Florida Statutes, is amended 58
to read: 59
395.1053 Postpartum education.—A hospital that provides 60
birthing services shall provide each parent with postpartum 61
education on the care of newborns, which must include all of the 62
following: 63
(1) incorporate Information on safe sleep practices and 64
the possible causes of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death. into the 65
hospital's postpartum instruction on the care of newborns and 66
provide to each parent 67
(2) Provision of the informational pamphlet on infant and 68
childhood eye and vision disorders created by the department 69
pursuant to s. 383.14(3)(h). 70
(3) Provision of the educational materials on drowning 71
prevention safety measures and safe bathing practices developed 72
by the department under s. 383.3363. 73
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 74