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With a month to go in 2025, Florida has set a record for childhood drowning deaths this year, a grim statistic in a state that already leads the nation in children losing their lives in water.

Two Orlando lawmakers want to change that with required drowning prevention education information for new parents. State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, also wants the Legislature to pass new swimming pool rules for older homes, some of which are exempt from regulations requiring fences or alarms.

“There’s a crisis in our state,” Smith said. “We know that these drownings are preventable. And raising awareness around the risk of drowning is a key objective.”

If passed, Smith’s three-bill package would add drowning prevention to a state-mandated

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