SUPPORTING THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE HAWAIʻI WATER SAFETY COALITION'S HAWAIʻI WATER SAFETY PLAN.

SR53

THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

53

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

supporting the findings and recommendations of the Hawai
ʻ
i Water Safety
coalition's Hawai
ʻ
i
Water safety plan
.

����
WHEREAS, the
State is in the midst of a drowning crisis, ranking second behind Alaska in the
number of annual drowning fatalities per one million residents; and

����
WHEREAS, drowning
is the leading cause of death for children in the State between ages one and
fifteen, with twenty-six children lost between 2019 and 2023; and

����
WHEREAS, Native
Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders comprise approximately twenty-seven percent of
the State's population but thirty-six percent of drowning deaths, reflecting
significant inequities in access to swimming education and water safety
resources; and

����
WHEREAS, visitors
make up less than fifteen percent of the State's average daily population but
comprise the majority of drowning victims, with snorkeling accounting for
ninety-one percent of visitor ocean drownings; and

����
WHEREAS, drowning
incidents involving visitors threaten both the State's public health and its
more than $20 billion tourism economy; and

����
WHEREAS, drowning
is the leading cause of injury-related visitor deaths in the State; and

����
WHEREAS, non-fatal
drownings, which occur at more than twice the rate of fatal drownings, often
result in permanent brain damage and lifelong impacts for families; and

����
WHEREAS, the
Hawai
ʻ
i Water
Safety Coalition (HWSC), formed in 2023 and now under the umbrella of the
Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, has developed the Hawai
ʻ
i Water Safety Plan (HWSP) as a
comprehensive, evidenced-informed strategy aligned with the United States
National Water Safety Action Plan and international best practices; and

����
WHEREAS, the
HWSP emphasizes the values of pono, laulima, kuleana, m
ā
lama, and k
ākou,
which mean doing the right thing, cooperation, responsibility, care, and
inclusion, respectively
; and

����
WHEREAS, the
HWSP calls for urgent action, including the following:

����
(1)
�
Establishing the HWSC as the centralized
authority for water safety and drowning prevention;

����
(2)
�
Expanding funding for the Department of Health
to prioritize drowning prevention, fill vacant staff positions, and improve
data collection;

����
(3)
�
Requiring warning signage, fencing, and safety
equipment at pools and at flood control structures, such as retention and
detention ponds, reservoirs, and dams;

����
(4)
�
Supporting lifeguard services, junior
lifeguard programs, and culturally competent water safety education statewide;

����
(5)
�
Supporting free water safety competency and
swimming lessons for all children in the State;

����
(6)
�
Addressing inequities by building and
maintaining public pools in underserved communities and integrating swim
lessons into school curricula;

����
(7)
�
Reconvening the Department of Land and Natural
Resources' task force on beach and water safety established by Act 190, Session
Laws of Hawaii 1996;

����
(8)
�
Ensuring that all public and private pools in
the State comply with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, which
mandates anti-entrapment drain covers and other safety measures to prevent
suction-related drowning incidents; and

����
(9)
�
Encouraging the use of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention's Model Aquatic Health Code as a resource and guide when
creating, revising, or updating state and local aquatic program regulations,
guidance, and policy; and

����
WHEREAS, the
HWSC was honored with the Safe Kids Champion for Children Award at the Safe
Kids Worldwide International Childhood Injury Prevention Convention in 2025 for
its outstanding contributions toward preventing childhood injuries; and

����
WHEREAS, the
Safe Kids Champion for Children Award recognizes organizations that have made a
significant impact in child injury prevention, and HWSC was selected among more
than twenty honorees for its leadership in addressing drowning through a plan
grounded in Hawaiian culture and data-driven strategies; now, therefore,

����
BE IT
RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii,
Regular Session of 2026, that the Legislature supports the findings and
recommendations of the Hawai
ʻ
i
Water Safety Coalition's Hawai
ʻ
i
Water Safety Plan; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Governor, Department of Health, Department of Land and
Natural Resources, Department of Education, Hawaii Tourism Authority, and
counties are urged to collaborate with the Hawai
ʻ
i
Water Safety Coalition to implement the Hawai
ʻ
i
Water Safety Plan; and

����
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be
transmitted to the Governor, Director of Health, Superintendent of Education, Chairperson
of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, President and Chief Executive
Officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Mayor of each county, President of the
Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, and Coordinator of the Hawai
ʻ
i Water Safety
Coalition.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
�

Water
Safety; Drowning; Hawaii Water Safety Coalition; Hawaii Water Safety Plan