NY State Senate Bill 2025-S1349

Senate Bill S1349

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires school districts to provide information regarding water safety and swimming certification to certain parents or students upon enrollment

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 09, 2025	referred to education

2025-S1349 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §3205, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S9311

2025-S1349 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires school districts to provide information regarding water safety and swimming certification to certain parents or students upon enrollment; defines "water safety".

2025-S1349 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1349

SPONSOR: CLEARE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring school
districts to provide information regarding water safety and swimming
certification to certain parents or students upon enrollment

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of this bill is to require school districts to provide
parents and guardians with information about water safety education
courses and swimming lessons, promoting water safety awareness and
potentially reducing water-related injuries and fatalities among chil-
dren.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends Section 3205 of the education law by adding a new
subdivision that requires school districts, beginning with the 2025-2026
school year, to provide information to parents or guardians about the

importance of water safety courses and swimming lessons.  This informa-
tion must be offered electronically or in hard copy and include local
options for age-appropriate water safety courses and swimming lessons,
highlighting free or reduced-price options.

Section 2. Sets the effective date of the act as July 1, 2024.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death among young
children. Educating parents and guardians about water safety and the
availability of swimming lessons can play a crucial role in prevention.
By informing parents and guardians about the benefits of and options for
water safety education, this bill aims to increase participation in
these programs.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal.

 
SOCIETAL IMPACT:

Potential reduction of water-related injuries and fatalities.

 
ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT IMPACT:

Stimulation of economic activity in the sector of water safety education
and swimming instruction.

 
ENVIRONMENTAL AND INFRASTRUCTURAL IMPACT:

Minimal.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

2025-S1349 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1349
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education  law,  in  relation  to  requiring  school
   districts  to  provide information regarding water safety and swimming
   certification to certain parents or students upon enrollment

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  3205 of the education law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
   4. A. BEGINNING WITH THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX--TWO  THOUSAND  TWEN-
 TY-SEVEN SCHOOL YEAR, EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL PROVIDE, TO A PARENT OR
 GUARDIAN WHO INITIALLY ENROLLS THEIR CHILD IN THE SCHOOL, INFORMATION ON
 THE  IMPORTANT  ROLE WATER SAFETY EDUCATION COURSES AND SWIMMING LESSONS
 PLAY IN SAVING LIVES. THE INFORMATION MUST BE PROVIDED ELECTRONICALLY OR
 IN HARD COPY AND MUST INCLUDE LOCAL OPTIONS  FOR  AGE-APPROPRIATE  WATER
 SAFETY  COURSES  AND SWIMMING LESSONS THAT RESULT IN A CERTIFICATE INDI-
 CATING SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION, INCLUDING COURSES AND LESSONS OFFERED  FOR
 FREE  OR  AT A REDUCED PRICE. IF THE STUDENT IS EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR
 OLDER, OR IS UNDER THE AGE OF  TWENTY-ONE  AND  IS  ENROLLING  IN  ADULT
 EDUCATION CLASSES, THE INFORMATION MUST BE PROVIDED TO THE STUDENT.
   B. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE TERM "WATER SAFETY" SHALL
 MEAN  AGE-APPROPRIATE  EDUCATION  INTENDED TO PROMOTE SAFETY IN, ON, AND
 AROUND BODIES OF WATER AND REDUCE THE RISK OF INJURY, INCLUDING FATAL OR
 NON-FATAL DROWNING.
   § 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04032-01-5

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