Bill Text: NY A04846 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: 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.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 19-4)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to education [A04846 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A04846-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4846

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 23, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of A. PHEFFER AMATO -- 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.
    23    2. The commissioner may provide technical assistance to assist in  the
    24  development  of curricula for such instruction which shall be age appro-
    25  priate and developed according to the needs and abilities of  pupils  at

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04804-05-3
        A. 4846                             2

     1  successive  grade levels in order to provide awareness, skills, informa-
     2  tion, self-confidence and support in the understanding of  water  safety
     3  and the practice of water safety behaviors and skills.
     4    §  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
     5  the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
     6  addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary
     7  for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
     8  to be made and completed on or before such effective date.