House committee backs bill allowing PE credit for swim and lifeguard training

The Utah House Education Committee voted to recommend HB247, a bill that would encourage K–12 water-safety instruction and allow high school students to receive PE or elective credit for swim skills, lifeguard certification or swim-instructor training.

Supporters told the committee the measure aims to reduce childhood drownings and expand workforce pipelines for recreation centers that lack lifeguards. Representative Carrie Ballard, sponsor of the bill, said the proposal would add water-safety standards to PE benchmarks and make national lifeguard-certification pathways available as credit-bearing options for students.

The bill’s nut graf: advocates said standardizing water-safety instruction in public schools could reach students who lack access to private lessons and help fill lifeguard positions at community pools. Josh Rooser, a Salt Lake County pool operator, said lifeguarding was often a first job and “a great start” for careers in public safety. Dr. Richard Ferguson, president of Black Physicians of Utah, told the committee that drowning prevention and equitable access to swim instruction are public-health priorities.

Committee members asked how the standards would be set and whether districts without pools would be required to provide instruction. Ballard said the bill assigns standard-setting to the State Board of Education and that the water-safety skills themselves do not always require a pool; districts could partner with public or private pools or allow students to complete certified instruction independently and apply for credit. She said an amendment clarifies the State Board’s role in defining standards.

Representatives who spoke in support included a school district aquatic supervisor who said a pilot class for underserved Latino students has shown positive results, and representatives of Utah PTA, the Utah Academy of Family Physicians and Project 0 Drowning, all of whom urged the committee to approve the bill. Jenny Earl of the State Board of Education testified the board is seeking to add supplemental aquatic standards and described them as optional offerings for districts that choose to adopt them.

The committee adopted Amendment 1 and then voted to send HB247 to the full House with a favorable recommendation as amended. The transcript records named opposition votes by Representative Welton and Representative Lisenby; the committee chair stated the motion carried and the bill was forwarded as amended.