A 1080: Establishes a mandatory statewide, classroom-based water safety education program; provides that the commissioner of education shall work with New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance certified educators to develop and promulgate a statewide, age-appropriate, classroom-based water safety education guidance document; provides that within twenty-four months of the effective date of the bill, the department of education shall initiate statewide implementation of water safety education; provides that instruction shall be classroom-based and waterless and shall not require student access to aquatic facilities, swimming instruction, or in-water assessment.

  
  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.