STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Timberlake
SYNOPSIS
Requires development of educational fact sheet on water safety for public and nonpublic schools; requires DOE to maintain list of locations providing swim lessons.
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 Department of Children and Families shall develop an educational fact sheet on water safety. The fact sheet shall include, at a minimum, 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 value of water safety education courses and the role swimming lessons play in preventing incidents of injury or drowning;
(3) the recommended use of flotation devices; and
(4) the importance of monitoring water conditions and swimming in areas monitored by a lifeguard.
b. In developing the fact sheet, the Department of Children and Families shall consult with, or utilize resources produced by, water safety organizations including, but not limited to, the American Red Cross and the New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance.
c. The Department of Education shall make the educational fact sheet available to all school districts and nonpublic schools.
d. A school district shall annually distribute the fact sheet to parents and guardians in a manner prescribed by the Department of Education. A nonpublic school is encouraged, but not required, to distribute the fact sheet to parents and guardians in a manner determined by the nonpublic school.
e. As used in this section, “water safety” means safety in, on, and around bodies of water to reduce the risk of injury or drowning.
2. A school district shall publish on its Internet website a list of locations where swimming lessons and age-appropriate water safety courses providing instruction to promote safety in, on, and around bodies of water to reduce the risk of injury and drowning are offered, including lessons and courses that are offered for free or reduced prices. The list shall be comprised of locations that have voluntarily requested to be included in the list. The list shall be made available to school districts and shall be updated annually. Each school district shall provide access to the list on its Internet website.
3. This act shall take effect on the 180th day next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Children and Families to develop an educational fact sheet on water safety. The fact sheet would include, at a minimum, 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 value water safety education courses and the role swimming lessons play in preventing incidents of injury or drowning; (3) the recommended use of flotation devices; and (4) the importance of monitoring water conditions and swimming in areas monitored by a lifeguard. The fact sheet is required to be developed in consultation with water safety organizations.
Pursuant to the provisions of the bill, a school district is required to annually distribute the fact sheet to parents and guardians in a manner prescribed by the Department of Education. A nonpublic school is encouraged, but not required, to distribute the fact sheet to parents and guardians in a manner determined by the nonpublic school.
Additionally, the bill requires a school district to publish, on its Internet website, a list of locations where swimming lessons and age-appropriate water safety courses providing instruction to promote safety in, on, and around bodies of water to reduce the risk of injury and drowning are offered, including courses and lessons that are offered for free or reduced prices. The list would be comprised of locations voluntarily requested to be included on the list, made available to school districts, and is required to be updated annually. Each school district is required to provide access to the list on its website.