Assembly committee advances bills to declare May Water Safety Month and require school water-safety fact sheets

The Assembly Education Committee voted to release Assembly Bill A4762, which would designate May of each year as Water Safety Month in New Jersey, and Assembly Bill A4763, which would require the Commissioner of Education to produce and publish an annual water-safety fact sheet and a county-organized list of locations offering swim lessons and water-safety courses.

The measures seek to raise awareness about drowning prevention and to provide K-12 educators and parents with free resources. Proponents said the bills would make proven materials more accessible to schools and families ahead of summer swimming season.

Libby Vincent, senior vice president of association business solutions for the YMCA State Alliance, told the committee the YMCA and its partner organizations already teach water safety and that the bills would help scale existing work. “The YMCA has really led in this space,” Vincent said, adding that last year the YMCA averaged 11,172 children per month learning to swim and more than 3,200 children per month receiving water-safety instruction.

Judith Joseph, founding board member of the New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance, described the alliance’s statewide coordination and recent Garden State Water Safety Summits and urged the committee to pass the bills. “Just make sure every May is declared,” Joseph said, calling the designation a simple step to elevate water safety and distribute materials to communities that lack access.

Dr. Iqra Beg, a pediatric resident physician, and Dr. Andy Reyes Santos, a pediatrician in Hackensack, also testified in support. Beg said drowning is a leading cause of preventable childhood death and noted the bills aim to bring evidence-based education to underserved communities. “These aren’t just bills. They’re lifelines,” Beg said.

Committee discussion noted that the Department of Education and the Department of Health would be consulted on resource development. Committee members also said the designation in May helps time outreach before pools and beaches open for summer.

The committee approved a motion to release A4762 for further consideration. A roll-call recorded a unanimous affirmative vote by committee members present. The committee likewise voted to amend and release A4763, which, as amended, assigns responsibility for developing and publishing the list of swim lesson locations to the Department of Education rather than individual school districts.

Support for the bills was filed by numerous organizations and professional associations, including the American Red Cross, New Jersey School Boards Association, New Jersey Recreation and Park Association, and pediatric residency groups; several submitted slips “in favor” without testifying.

If enacted as written, A4763 would require the Department of Education to publish a county-organized list of locations where swim lessons and water-safety courses are offered, update it annually, and provide it to school districts for posting on district websites. A4762 would formalize May as Water Safety Month in New Jersey to concentrate outreach and awareness efforts.

The committee’s action advances both bills to the next procedural step in the legislature. Further committee or floor votes, and any subsequent amendments, will determine the bills’ final text and obligations on state agencies.