Requires Commissioner of Education to develop educational fact sheet on water safety for public and nonpublic schools.

A1603

ASSEMBLY, No. 1603

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman SEAN T. KEAN

District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)

Assemblywoman ELLEN J. PARK

District 37 (Bergen)

Assemblywoman ALIXON COLLAZOS-GILL

District 27 (Essex and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Dunn, Assemblyman DiMaio, Assemblywomen
Carter, Donlon and Assemblyman Inganamort

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires Commissioner of Education to develop
educational fact sheet on water safety for public and nonpublic schools.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning water safety information for parents and
guardians and supplementing chapter 40 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a. The Commissioner of
Education shall develop an educational fact sheet on water safety.� The fact
sheet shall include information on:

���� (1)�� how parents and
guardians can reduce their child�s risk of injury or drowning while in, on, and
around bodies of water;

���� (2)�� the important role water
safety education courses and swimming lessons play in saving lives; and

���� (3)�� locations in each county
of the State where age-appropriate water safety courses and swimming lessons
are offered, including courses and lessons that are offered for free or at
reduced prices.�

���� In developing the fact sheet
pursuant to this subsection, the commissioner shall consult with, and utilize
resources produced by, water safety organizations such as the American Red
Cross, the New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance, or other similar organizations.

���� b.��� A school district shall
distribute the fact sheet to parents and guardians who initially enroll their
child in school in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Education.

���� c.���� The Commissioner of
Education shall make the educational fact sheet available to nonpublic
schools.� Nonpublic schools are encouraged, but not required, to distribute the
fact sheet to parents and guardians who initially enroll their child in the
school.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the fourth month next following enactment except
that the Commissioner of Education may take any anticipatory administrative
action in advance as shall be necessary for the timely implementation of this
act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the
Commissioner of Education in consultation with water safety organizations such
as the American Red Cross, the New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance, or other
similar organizations to develop an educational fact sheet on water safety for public
and nonpublic schools.� The commissioner would also be required to utilize any
resources produced by water safety organizations in creating the fact sheet.�
The fact sheet would include information on:

�

how parents and
guardians can reduce their child�s risk of injury or drowning while in, on, and
around bodies of water;

�

the important
role water safety education courses and swimming lessons play in saving lives;
and

�

locations in
each county of the State where age-appropriate water safety courses and
swimming lessons are offered, including courses and lessons that are offered
for free or at reduced prices.

���� A school district would
distribute the fact sheet to parents and guardians who initially enroll their
child in school in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Education.� The
Commissioner of Education would also be required to make the educational fact
sheet available to nonpublic schools which would be encouraged, but not
required, to distribute the fact sheet to parents and guardians who initially
enroll their child in the school.