Allows schools to provide water safety instruction to students in grades kindergarten through twelve; allows for the commissioner of education to provide technical assistance to develop curricula for water safety instruction.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1080
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PHEFFER AMATO, HYNDMAN, ZINERMAN, BUTTENSCHON,
OTIS, SIMON, ANDERSON, PAULIN, ROSENTHAL, LUNSFORD, RAGA, SEAWRIGHT,
KELLES, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, EPSTEIN -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to providing water safety
instruction in schools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 805 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 805. Instruction in water safety. 1. All public school districts
4 within the state shall make available and encourage water safety
5 instruction for students in grades kindergarten through twelve. Such
6 school districts shall be required to send home to parents of students
7 asynchronous water safety materials each year. Such instruction shall be
8 defined by the commissioner in regulations after consultation with the
9 department of health and be designed to educate students about water
10 safety in grades kindergarten through twelve. Such age appropriate
11 instruction shall include, but not be limited to, the proper use of
12 flotation devices, awareness of water conditions, how to respond if
13 caught in a rip current, the proper lifeguarded supervision of swim
14 areas, safe behaviors in and around the water, the importance of pool
15 barriers and fencing, the importance of formal swim lessons, the impor-
16 tance of avoiding alcohol and substance use with water recreation, the
17 importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation for drowning victims and the
18 importance of the order of administering such aid. Nothing in this
19 section shall prevent the department from making model curriculum and
20 resource materials available on the department's website. Each school
21 district shall notify the commissioner prior to the beginning of each
22 school year if they choose to provide instruction in water safety.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02436-01-5
A. 1080 2
1 2. The commissioner may provide technical assistance to assist in the
2 development of curricula for such instruction which shall be age appro-
3 priate and developed according to the needs and abilities of pupils at
4 successive grade levels in order to provide awareness, skills, informa-
5 tion, self-confidence and support in the understanding of water safety
6 and the practice of water safety behaviors and skills.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
8 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
9 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
10 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
11 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
