STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MARGIE DONLON, M.D.
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblyman SEAN T. KEAN
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
Assemblyman MICHAEL INGANAMORT
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson
SYNOPSIS
Requires provision of water safety instruction as part of New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the provision of water safety instruction in public school curriculum and supplementing chapter 35 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. Each school district shall incorporate instruction on water safety into the health education curriculum for students in grades K through 12 as part of the district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
b. The instruction shall provide students with information on:
(1) the nature and danger of rip tides;
(2) the importance of learning about water conditions and beach safety practices, particularly for student populations that do not reside near beach communities;
(3) hand signs that may be used to indicate swimmer distress; and
(4) the sightline limitations of lifeguards and others monitoring swimmers from the beach.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full school year next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires each school district to incorporate instruction on water safety into the health education curriculum for students in grades K through 12 as part of the district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. The instruction is to provide information on: the nature and danger of rip tides; the importance of learning about water conditions and beach safety practices, particularly for student populations that do not reside near beach communities; hand signs that may be used to indicate swimmer distress; and the sightline limitations of lifeguards and others monitoring swimmers from the beach.