Bill Text: NY A02842 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes the water safety instruction working group to study appropriate standards for curriculum on water safety instruction for students in grades kindergarten through twelve in the state.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-3)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to education [A02842 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A02842-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2842

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 27, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of A. PHEFFER AMATO, COOK, SEAWRIGHT, SIMON, HEVESI,
          GONZALEZ-ROJAS, EPSTEIN, CRUZ, NORRIS, MORINELLO, McDONOUGH,  MAMDANI,
          ANDERSON  -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. SILLITTI, ZINERMAN -- read
          once and referred to the Committee on Education

        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the water
          safety instruction working group; and providing for the repeal of such
          provisions upon the expiration thereof

          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.  Water  safety  instruction working group. 1. The commissioner
     4  shall establish a water safety instruction working group to study appro-
     5  priate standards for curriculum on water safety instruction for students
     6  in grades kindergarten through twelve in the state.
     7    2. Such working group shall be composed of not more than fifteen indi-
     8  viduals representing interested stakeholders, including:
     9    a. the commissioner or their designee;
    10    b. the commissioner of the department of health or their designee;
    11    c. the commissioner of the division of homeland security and emergency
    12  services or their designee;
    13    d. individuals who represent  not-for-profit  water  safety  organiza-
    14  tions;
    15    e.  experts  in  teaching  students  on  swimming  and water safety in
    16  elementary school, middle school, and high school;
    17    f. experts in training first aid, cardiopulmonary  resuscitation,  and
    18  other water emergency-related responses;
    19    g.  school  administrators  who  work  at an elementary school, middle
    20  school, or high school;
    21    h. individuals who represent climate-related emergency preparation and
    22  training, specifically for water-related disasters; and

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04804-02-3
        A. 2842                             2

     1    i. any other stakeholder the commissioner deems  necessary,  including
     2  but not limited to, community members who are underserved and dispropor-
     3  tionately  impacted by the current distribution of swimming resources in
     4  public schools and who are most likely to be affected  by  water-related
     5  disasters due to climate change.
     6    3.  Such  working  group shall meet on a regular basis and shall study
     7  the options and best practices available and make recommendations for:
     8    a. the need and appropriateness of swimming and water safety  instruc-
     9  tion  in  public schools, with particular consideration of water-related
    10  climate change disasters and proper emergency responses  and  skills  of
    11  survival;
    12    b. which agencies or organizations should inform the department on the
    13  best standards for curriculum on water safety instruction;
    14    c.  the  availability  of swimming pools and other equipment needed to
    15  provide water safety instruction in public schools; and
    16    d. the fiscal implications to school districts if any proposed  stand-
    17  ards were implemented.
    18    4.  The  working group established pursuant to subdivision one of this
    19  section shall report its findings and recommendations to  the  governor,
    20  the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly no
    21  later  than twelve months after the effective date of this section. Such
    22  report shall be made publicly available on the department's website.
    23    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
    24  deemed  repealed  six  months  after the submission of the report by the
    25  water safety instruction working group pursuant to section one  of  this
    26  act;  provided, however, that the commissioner of education shall notify
    27  the legislative bill drafting commission  upon  the  occurrence  of  the
    28  submission  of  the report by the water safety instruction working group
    29  pursuant to section one of this act in order  that  the  commission  may
    30  maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of the official text
    31  of  the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the
    32  provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of  the
    33  public officers law.