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.
S09480 would amend the Education Law to create a mandatory statewide water safety education program for public schools and early-childhood education settings. The bill directs the Commissioner of Education to work with certified health and physical education educators to develop a statewide, age-appropriate guidance document for kindergarten through grade 12, aligned with existing aquatic learning standards and designed to be integrated into current instructional frameworks. The program is explicitly classroom-based and “waterless,” meaning it would not require pools, aquatic facilities, swimming instruction, or in-water testing.
The required curriculum would cover a broad range of water safety topics, including identifying hazards such as pools, beaches, rivers, flooding, and extreme weather; safe behaviors around water; recognizing dangerous conditions; emergency response and when to seek help; use of Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices; home water safety; and age-appropriate decision-making. It also includes exposure to water-related careers such as lifeguarding and swim instruction. The department would be required to begin statewide implementation within 24 months of the bill’s effective date, and districts would document compliance in their district-wide physical education plans by grade level.
If enacted, the bill would add a new section 804-e to the Education Law and create a statewide mandate for water safety instruction in public schools and early-childhood education settings. It would require the Education Department to develop guidance, oversee implementation, and potentially issue regulations, while also requiring school districts to show how they are meeting the requirement in their physical education plans. The bill is structured to minimize cost and administrative burden by allowing training through existing professional development systems and by expressly stating that no additional staff or aquatic facilities are required.
The bill’s framing suggests strong support for drowning prevention, public safety, and equitable access to water safety education. Its findings emphasize preventable child drowning, unequal access to swimming instruction, and the need for a universal classroom-based approach that can reach students regardless of geography or resources. No committee transcripts or votes were provided, so there is no recorded legislative debate or formal vote history to indicate opposition or amendments.
The main potential points of contention are likely to be implementation burden, curriculum mandates, and whether a statewide requirement should be imposed on schools already balancing many instructional priorities. The bill attempts to address these concerns by making the program classroom-based, integrating it into existing educational frameworks, and stating that it does not require pools, swim lessons, or new staff. Another possible issue is whether the state-developed guidance may limit local flexibility, though the bill allows the commissioner to promulgate rules consistent with its limits.