S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6141
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 10, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. NORRIS -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Governmental Operations
 
 AN  ACT to create a temporary "commission to prevent childhood drowning"
   to improve water safety in New  York  state;  and  providing  for  the
   repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. A temporary commission to be known as  the  "commission  to
 prevent  childhood drowning", hereafter referred to as the "commission",
 is hereby created to evaluate and develop programs to  properly  educate
 and instruct children on water safety and how to swim.
   §  2.  (a)  The  commission  shall  consist  of  eleven  members to be
 appointed as follows: three  members  appointed  by  the  governor;  two
 members  appointed by the temporary president of the senate; two members
 appointed by the speaker of the assembly; one member  appointed  by  the
 minority  leader  of  the  senate,  one member appointed by the minority
 leader of the assembly; the chancellor of the board of  regents  of  the
 University  of  the  State  of  New York or his or her designee; and the
 commissioner of the department of parks, recreation and historic preser-
 vation or his or her designee; and five ad hoc members, with one  member
 each of the statewide chapter of the following organizations: the Ameri-
 can  Red  Cross, the YMCA, the YWCA, the Boys and Girls Club, the Jewish
 Community Center and the New York State Swim  Commission.  Vacancies  in
 the  membership  of  the  commission  shall be filled in the same manner
 provided for original appointments and designations.
   (b) The members of the commission shall receive  no  compensation  for
 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
 incurred  in  the  performance of their duties pursuant to this act. The
 commission may employ and at pleasure remove such personnel as it  deems
 necessary  for  the  performance  of its functions and fix their compen-
 sation within the amounts made available by appropriation therefor.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD07661-01-1

 A. 6141                             2
 
   (c) The commission may hold public hearings and  shall  have  all  the
 powers of a legislative committee pursuant to the legislative law and is
 hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to undertake any studies, inquiries,
 surveys or analyses it may deem relevant through its own personnel or in
 cooperation  with or by agreement with any other public or private agen-
 cy.
   (d) To the maximum extent feasible, the commission shall  be  entitled
 to  request  and be provided with such resources and data of any depart-
 ment, division, board, bureau, commission or agency of the state or  any
 political  subdivision thereof as it may reasonably request to carry out
 properly its powers and duties pursuant to this act.
   (e) The members of the commission or any committee thereof may partic-
 ipate in a meeting of such commission or committee by means of  a  tele-
 phone  conference  or  any similar communications equipment allowing all
 persons participating to hear each other at the same time; participation
 by such means shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.
   § 3. The commission shall:
   (a) Determine an appropriate age and/or stage of childhood development
 when children can properly begin water safety and swimming  instructions
 and develop statewide standards for such instruction;
   (b)  Investigate  and  evaluate  the  feasibility and effectiveness of
 programs which incentivize parents and guardians to enroll  children  in
 water safety and swimming instruction;
   (c)  Develop a comprehensive plan and provide the estimated state cost
 for public-private partnerships between the state and community centers,
 nonprofit organizations, recreational facilities, swimming  instructors,
 and  other  relevant stakeholders and expanding existing state resources
 such as parks and pools to provide access to free swimming  instruction,
 and determine the feasibility of such programs;
   (d)  Develop  an  implementation  plan  to  ensure its swimming safety
 programs are available in underserved communities; and
   (e) Develop a comprehensive plan  and  provide  the  annual  estimated
 state cost for a public awareness campaign to ensure parents and guardi-
 ans  receive  information  on the importance of children receiving basic
 water safety and swimming instruction.
   § 4. The commission shall make recommendations and  a  report  of  its
 findings  no  later  than one year after the effective date of this act.
 The commission shall submit such recommendations and  report,  including
 any  recommendations for legislative action as it may deem necessary and
 appropriate, to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the
 speaker of the assembly, and shall publish its report online.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
 deemed repealed eighteen months after it shall have become a law.