TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Inside Florida's Capitol, lawmakers are proposing a bill to help prevent drownings among children and other at-risk people.
House Bill 207 targets apartment complexes, condominiums and townhouses. Property owners would need to install a door alarm on any door leading to a pool.
WATCH AS SENIOR REPORTER KAITLIN KNAPP EXPLAINS WHAT THE BILL ENTAILS:
"It's about time and we can use the help," said Paul Demello, president and founder of Just Against Children Drowning Foundation.
He lost his twins to drowning in 2010 and is a big advocate for fencing and education.
"I believe in multiple layers of prevention," he said. "I feel like it’s the least we could be doing — that is putting alarms on."
Property owners would have to make sure the alarms work at all times.
"We lost 105 kids last year. I mean, that was a record," said Stacey Hoaglund, president of Autism Society of Florida.
Hoaglund is in Tallahassee right now, advocating for drowning prevention and other autism-related legislation.
"We have lots of our families that live in multifamily housing units and our kids have a very high propensity for wandering and eloping from safe areas and they are extremely attracted to water," she explained. "It’s a split second, a split second you turn, you put a pot of water on your stove and they can be out and about and gain access to water pretty quick."
Drowning is the number one cause of death of autistic children.
Demello says this bill is a step in the right direction, but more should be done, such as regulation on vacation rentals.
"I think it’s a good thing, but I think we should be doing a hell of a lot more," he said.
There are several drowning prevention bills up this session.
There's also a similar Senate bill introduced.
