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Weston parks director urges pause on bill to extend Christian’s Law to swimming pools, citing equity and practicality concerns
Summary
Sharon Loch, Weston’s recreational director, told the Joint Committee the Christian’s Law amendment in H.B. 2,731 — which would remove pools from an existing exclusion — risks unintended consequences for municipal and camp programs and could reduce pool access for underserved children.
Sharon Loch, director of the Town of Weston’s Recreation Department, told the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security that H.B. 2,731’s proposed change to Christian’s Law — removing an exclusion that now applies to swimming pools — should be paused for further study.
“Pools are very different than open bodies of water,” Loch said, citing pool clarity, visible depth markers, signage and state regulation of lifeguards and pool safety. She said Christian’s Law was originally written for natural bodies of water such as ponds, lakes and oceans, and that applying identical life‑jacket rules to swimming pools could produce unintended consequences for municipal and day‑camp programming.
Loch warned that some municipalities and camps already stopped visiting ponds and oceans after prior restrictions took effect and said an extension to pools could lead to fewer pool outings if towns are unwilling or unable to assume the logistical and financial burden of fitting and providing life jackets. That, she argued, could deprive children — particularly in underserved communities — of swim-lesson opportunities offered at pools.
The Massachusetts Park and Recreation Association has not taken a position, Loch said; when the original Christian’s Law was passed, the association opposed it on equity grounds. During committee questioning, Loch said she did not have precise cost estimates for municipalities or camps on hand. The committee did not take formal action.
Loch requested that if lawmakers decide to revise the law they consider a pool‑specific statute drafted with input from aquatic and water‑safety professionals to avoid unintended access and equity impacts.
