A 1080 New York Assembly · 2025 Regular Session

Establishes a mandatory statewide, classroom-based water safety education program

Summary

Establishes a mandatory statewide, classroom-based water safety education program; provides that the commissioner of education shall work with New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance certified educators to develop and promulgate a statewide, age-appropriate, classroom-based water safety education guidance document; provides that within twenty-four months of the effective date of the bill, the department of education shall initiate statewide implementation of water safety education; provides that instruction shall be classroom-based and waterless and shall not require student access to aquatic facilities, swimming instruction, or in-water assessment.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 8, 2025 Last action Feb 26, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

A1080 → A1080A · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill transforms water safety education from a voluntary, district-discretionary program into a mandatory statewide requirement. The new version establishes a classroom-based, waterless curriculum that all public schools must implement, ensuring equitable access to drowning prevention education for all students regardless of their community's access to swimming facilities.

Scope change

Expanded from optional district-level instruction to mandatory statewide program covering kindergarten through grade 12 plus early-childhood education settings

REQUIREMENT

Changed water safety instruction from optional to mandatory statewide requirement

Requires commissioner to develop statewide water safety guidance document aligned with existing aquatic learning standards

Mandates documentation of compliance in District-wide Physical Education Plans by grade level

Expanded curriculum requirements to include careers in aquatic fields and proper use of Coast Guard-approved flotation devices

Removed requirement for districts to send asynchronous water safety materials home to parents annually

Changed from encouraging instruction to requiring development and implementation of comprehensive guidance document

DEFINITION

Added formal definitions for 'water safety education', 'classroom-based', and 'early-childhood education settings'

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

PRINT NUMBER 1080A

lower

Feb 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO EDUCATION

lower

Jan 7, 2026

Committee

REFERRED TO EDUCATION

lower

Jan 8, 2025

Committee

REFERRED TO EDUCATION

lower

1 primary · 14 co-sponsors