California Drowning Prevention and Rescue Act.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not mention specific amounts of funding or details on emergency responder training requirements beyond clarifying CPR instructions for drowning victims over the phone.

California Drowning Prevention and Rescue Act

This act clarifies CPR instructions for drowning victims over the phone, updates public awareness campaigns about CPR, and requires biennial reports on California's lifeguard workforce.

What This Bill Does

• Clarifies that CPR instructions provided to people who call 911 because someone is drowning should include both breathing and chest compression techniques.
• Requires the State Department of Public Health to work with other state agencies to review and update public communications efforts about the importance of knowing CPR and how to get trained in it.
• Asks the Emergency Medical Services Authority to submit a report every two years on California’s lifeguard workforce, starting from June 30, 2028.

Who It Names or Affects

• Emergency responders who need CPR training
• People calling 911 about drowning victims

Terms To Know

CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a way to help someone whose heart has stopped beating.

Biennially

Every two years

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill only works if another bill called AB-1634 is also passed and becomes law by January 1, 2027.
• It does not specify how much money will be used from the special license plate program.

Official Summary Text

AB 1639, as amended, Davies.
California Drowning Prevention and Rescue Act.
Existing law requires specified lifeguards, firefighters, and peace officers to be trained to administer first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and requires the training to meet standards prescribed by the Emergency Medical Services Authority. Existing law requires, by January 1, 2027, a public safety agency that provides “911” call processing services for emergency medical response to provide prearrival medical instructions to “911” callers requiring medical assistance, including, among other things, CPR instructions for children and children and adults. Existing law also requires persons providing aquatic instruction at a public swimming pool to possess current certificates from an American Red Cross or a YMCA of the USA lifeguard training program, or have equivalent qualifications, as determined by the State Department of Public Health, and requires lifeguard service, as
defined, to be provided for any public swimming pool that is of wholly artificial construction and for the use of which a direct fee is charged.
This bill would clarify that CPR instructions, for purposes of the above-described “911” provision, also include CPR instruction in both ventilation and chest compressions for calls that involve a drowning victim. The bill would require the State Department of Public Health, in coordination with other specified state entities, to review and update the state’s public communications efforts to ensure everyone in California is educated about the importance of CPR knowledge and how to obtain CPR training.
This bill would also require the Emergency Medical Services Authority to, on or before June 30, 2028, and biennially thereafter, submit a report to the Commission on Emergency Medical Services and the Legislature on California’s lifeguard workforce, as prescribed, to better
understand, track,
understand
and report on California’s lifeguard workforce.
The bill would authorize the Emergency Medical Services Authority to, upon appropriation by the Legislature, utilize specified funds provided for these purposes in the “Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help Our Kids” license plate program, and would make this provision operative only if Assembly Bill 1634 of the 2025–26 Regular Session is enacted and takes effect on or before January 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF