Florida Statutes 514.073 – Swimming Lesson Voucher Program
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(1) There is created within the department the Swimming Lesson Voucher Program. The purpose of the program is to increase water safety in this state by offering vouchers for swimming lessons at no cost to families with an income of no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level who have one or more children 4 years of age or younger.
(2) The department shall do all of the following to implement the program:
(a) Establish a network of swimming lesson vendors that will accept the vouchers offered by the program in exchange for providing swimming lessons. To establish the network, the department may contract directly with swimming lesson vendors or contract with one or more nonprofit organizations that promote swimming safety to subcontract with and manage swimming lesson vendors in one or more counties, or both. To ensure that swimming lessons are available throughout this state, the department, either directly or through a contracted nonprofit organization, must attempt to secure at least one such vendor in each county. Any swimming lesson vendor that offers swimming lessons at a public pool that is owned or maintained by a county or municipality must, if requested by the department or by a nonprofit organization contracted by the department, participate in the program.
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 514.073
- Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Department: means the Department of Health. See Florida Statutes 514.011
- public pool: means a watertight structure of concrete, masonry, or other approved materials which is located either indoors or outdoors, used for bathing or swimming by humans, and filled with a filtered and disinfected water supply, together with buildings, appurtenances, and equipment used in connection therewith. See Florida Statutes 514.011
(b) Establish a method for members of the public to apply for swimming lesson vouchers and for determining an applicant’s eligibility. The department shall establish eligibility criteria necessary for a family to receive one or more vouchers from the program, including, but not limited to, the following:
1. The age of each child for whom a voucher is being sought, who may be no more than 4 years of age.
2. The family income level, which may be up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
3. The family’s address of residency in this state.
(c) Subject to specific appropriation, issue vouchers to eligible applicants.
(3) The department may seek grants or other public or private funding for the program.
(4) The department shall adopt rules to implement the program.