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HB 117 2026
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hb117-00
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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 residential swimming pool 2
requirements; amending s. 515.27, F.S.; requiring 3
swimming pools located on residential real property 4
that is transferred or sold on or after a specified 5
date to meet certain pool safety and pool barrier 6
requirements; requiring home inspectors to report 7
violations of the law to a local enforcement agency; 8
amending s. 515.31, F.S.; conforming a cross-reference 9
and making technical changes; providing an effective 10
date. 11
12
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13
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Section 1. Section 515.27, Florida Statutes, is amended to 15
read: 16
515.27 Residential swimming pool safety feature options; 17
penalties.— 18
(1) In order to pass final inspection and receive a 19
certificate of completion, a residential swimming pool must meet 20
at least one of the following requirements relating to pool 21
safety features: 22
(a) The pool must be isolated from access to a home by an 23
enclosure that meets the pool barrier requirements of s. 515.29; 24
(b) The pool must be equipped with an approved safety pool 25
HB 117 2026
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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
cover; 26
(c) All doors and windows providing direct access from the 27
home to the pool must be equipped with an exit alarm that has a 28
minimum sound pressure rating of 85 dB A at 10 feet; 29
(d) All doors providing direct access from the home to the 30
pool must be equipped with a self-closing, self-latching device 31
with a release mechanism placed no lower than 54 inches above 32
the floor; or 33
(e) A swimming pool alarm that, when placed in a pool, 34
sounds an alarm upon detection of an accidental or unauthorized 35
entrance into the water. Such pool alarm must meet and be 36
independently certified to ASTM Standard F2208, titled "Standard 37
Safety Specification for Residential Pool Alarms," which 38
includes surface motion, pressure, sonar, laser, and infrared 39
alarms. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "swimming pool 40
alarm" does not include any swimming protection alarm device 41
designed for individual use, such as an alarm attached to a 42
child that sounds when the child exceeds a certain distance or 43
becomes submerged in water. 44
(2) A swimming pool, regardless of the year in which the 45
pool was built, located on residential real property that is 46
transferred or sold on or after October 1, 2026, must be 47
equipped with at least one pool safety feature as required in 48
subsection (1). A home inspector licensed under s. 468.8314 must 49
report a violation of this subsection to a local enforcement 50
HB 117 2026
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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
agency as defined in s. 553.71. If the inspected pool safety 51
feature is the pool barrier, it must meet all of the 52
requirements in s. 515.29. 53
(3)(2) A person who fails to equip a new residential 54
swimming pool with at least one pool safety feature as required 55
in subsection (1) or subsection (2) commits a misdemeanor of the 56
second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 57
775.083, except that no penalty shall be imposed if the person, 58
within 45 days after arrest or issuance of a summons or a notice 59
to appear, has equipped the pool with at least one safety 60
feature as required in subsection (1) or subsection (2) and has 61
attended a drowning prevention education program established by 62
s. 515.31. However, the requirement of attending a drowning 63
prevention education program is waived if such program is not 64
offered within 45 days after issuance of the citation. 65
Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 515.31, Florida 66
Statutes, is amended to read: 67
515.31 Drowning prevention education program; public 68
information publication.— 69
(1) The department shall develop a drowning prevention 70
education program. Such program must, which shall be made 71
available to the public at the state and local levels and is 72
which shall be required as set forth in s. 515.27(3) s. 73
515.27(2) for persons in violation of the pool safety 74
requirements of this chapter. The department may charge a fee, 75
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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
not to exceed $100, for attendance at such a program. The 76
drowning prevention education program is to shall be funded 77
using fee proceeds, state funds appropriated for such purpose, 78
and grants. The department, in lieu of developing its own 79
program, may adopt a nationally recognized drowning prevention 80
education program to be approved for use in local safety 81
education programs, as provided in rule of the department. 82
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 83