HB0073 • 2026

Public Schools - Water Safety and Swimming Course - Established

Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Delegate Toles
Last action: 2026-01-30
Official status: In the House - Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Public Schools - Water Safety and Swimming Course - Established

Requiring the State Board of Education to develop, by July 1, 2027, curriculum content for an elective course in water safety and swimming for public school students in kindergarten through grade 8; requiring, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, county boards of education to implement the water safety and swimming curriculum content for students in kindergarten through grade 8 in public schools in the county; etc.

What This Bill Does

Requiring the State Board of Education to develop, by July 1, 2027, curriculum content for an elective course in water safety and swimming for public school students in kindergarten through grade 8; requiring, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, county boards of education to implement the water safety and swimming curriculum content for students in kindergarten through grade 8 in public schools in the county; etc.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-01-30 House
Hearing canceled
2026-01-30 House
Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-01-21 House
Hearing 2/05 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-01-14 House
First Reading Ways and Means
2025-10-28 House
Pre-filed
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Public Schools - Water Safety and Swimming Course - Established

Official Summary Text

Requiring the State Board of Education to develop, by July 1, 2027, curriculum content for an elective course in water safety and swimming for public school students in kindergarten through grade 8; requiring, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, county boards of education to implement the water safety and swimming curriculum content for students in kindergarten through grade 8 in public schools in the county; etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0073*

HOUSE BILL 73
F1 6lr1404
(PRE–FILED)
By: Delegate Toles
Requested: October 28, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Schools – Water Safety and Swimming Course – Established 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the State Board of Education to develop curriculum content 3
standards for a course on water safety and swimming for public school students in 4
certain grades; requiring county boards of education to implement the water safety 5
and swimming course for students in certain grades in certain schools in the county; 6
requiring each county board to ensure the provision of rea sonable accommodations 7
necessary to provide students with disabilities equal opportunity to participate, to 8
the fullest extent possible, in the water safety and swimming course; and generally 9
relating to a course on water safety and swimming in public schools. 10

BY adding to 11
Article – Education 12
Section 7–455 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17

Article – Education 18

7–455. 19

(A) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2027, THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL 20
DEVELOP CURRICULUM C ONTENT STANDARDS FOR A COURSE ON WATER SA FETY 21
AND SWIMMING FOR PUB LIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN THRO UGH 22
GRADE 8. 23

2 HOUSE BILL 73

(B) (1) BEGINNING IN THE 2027–2028 SCHOOL YEAR , EACH COUNTY 1
BOARD SHALL IMPLEMENT A COURSE ON WATER SAFETY AND SWIMMING BASED ON 2
THE CURRICULUM CONTENT STANDARDS DEVELOPED BY THE STATE BOARD UNDER 3
SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION IN E ACH PUBLIC SCHOOL FO R STUDENTS IN 4
KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 8. 5

(2) A COUNTY BOARD MAY AWA RD AN ELECTIVE PHYSI CAL 6
EDUCATION CREDIT TO STUDENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE COURSE. 7

(C) A PUBLIC SCHOOL MAY PA RTNER WITH A LOCAL P ARKS AND 8
RECREATION AGENCY TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO TH E NECESSARY WATER AN D 9
SWIMMING FACILITIES FOR THE COURSE OFFERED UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS 10
SECTION. 11

(D) EACH COUNTY BOARD SHALL ENSURE THE PROVISION OF REASONABLE 12
ACCOMMODATIONS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES EQUAL 13
OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, IN THE WATER 14
SAFETY AND SWIMMING COURSE. 15

(E) THE STATE BOARD MAY ADOPT REGUL ATIONS TO CARRY OUT THIS 16
SECTION. 17

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 18
1, 2026. 19