§§1,2

C.18A:40-12.40

and 18A:40-12.41

§3

Note

P.L. 2025, CHAPTER 247, approved January 12, 2026

Assembly, No. 4763 (Second Reprint)

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 ²[Commissioner of Education] Department of Children and Families² shall develop an educational fact sheet on water safety. The fact sheet shall include², at a minimum,² 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 ²[role] value² of water safety education courses and ²the role² swimming lessons play in preventing incidents of injury or drowning;

      (3)  the ²[proper] recommended² 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 ²[commissioner] Department of Children and Families² shall consult with, ²[and] or² 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 ²[commissioner] Department of Education² 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 ²[commissioner] Department of Education². 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.   ¹[A school district] ²[The Department of Education¹] A school district² shall ²[develop ¹and make available] publish² on its Internet website¹ a list of ¹[local]¹ locations ²[¹, organized by county,¹]² 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. ²The list shall be comprised of locations that have voluntarily requested to be included in the list.² The list shall be made available ¹[on the Internet website of the district] to school districts¹ and shall be updated annually.  ¹Each school district shall provide access to the list on its Internet website.¹

     3.    This act shall take effect on the 180th day next following the date of enactment.

     Requires development of educational fact sheet on water safety for public and nonpublic schools; requires school districts to maintain list of locations providing swim lessons in certain circumstances.