Bill > S0244

This bill enhances residential swimming pool safety requirements by mandating that any swimming pool on residential property transferred or sold on or after October 1, 2026, must have at least one approved safety feature. These features include pool barriers, safety pool covers, exit alarms, self-closing doors with high-placed latches, or swimming pool alarms that meet specific certification standards. Home inspectors will now be required to report pool safety violations to local enforcement agencies, with a particular focus on ensuring pool barriers meet all required specifications. The bill maintains existing penalties for non-compliance, which include a second-degree misdemeanor charge that can be avoided if the pool owner installs an approved safety feature and completes a drowning prevention education program within 45 days of citation. The legislation also updates the state's drowning prevention education program requirements, allowing the department to charge a fee for attendance and potentially adopt a nationally recognized program. By expanding safety requirements to all residential pools being sold, regardless of their age, the bill aims to reduce the risk of accidental drownings, particularly for children.

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/244