Georgia was the second state to pass a law meant to promote swim lessons for all children. At presstime, Arkansas was primed to be the third, with a bill awaiting the governor’s signature.
In 2021, Florida was the first to pass legislation requiring schools to provide parents and guardians of all students with information explaining the importance of learning to swim, and listing available resources for lessons and help for lower-income families to gain lessons.
The new Georgia and Arkansas laws contain the same language.
“When I’ve said every child should learn to swim, I’ve not had a single person push back and disagree,” said Bill Kent, CEO of Team Horner, based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Kent, who also serves as chairman of the board for the International Swimming Hall of Fame, is pursuing such legislation across the country, having hired a long-time safety advocate, Casey McGovern, to help with this and other efforts to promote swim lessons for children.
The team hopes to see three to five more states pass similar bills. It has begun conversations with officials in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Mississippi and New Mexico.