HR76 HD1

WHEREAS, drowning is a tragic but preventable cause of injury and death in the State, especially among children; and

WHEREAS, according to the Department of Health, drowning was the leading cause of injury-related mortality for Hawaii's children between 2014 and 2018; and

WHEREAS, more children died by drowning than in motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents combined, and an alarmingly large proportion of those child drownings were among resident children; and

WHEREAS, during the same period, there were an annual average of seventy non-fatal child drowning incidents attended by emergency medical services; and

WHEREAS, although individuals who experience non-fatal drowning incidents escape with their lives, some are left with severe brain damage and may face long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities, or permanent losses of basic functions, a disorder often referred to as a persistent vegetative state; and

WHEREAS, many drowning deaths could be prevented through aquatic safety education programs; and

WHEREAS, the International Life Saving Federation's Position Statement for Swimming and Safety Education recommends that everyone have access to training in water safety, personal survival, and water rescue; and

WHEREAS, the International Life Saving Federation recommends that this training be available to everyone regardless of ability and background and should commence at the earliest possible age; and

WHEREAS, despite these recommendations, many of Hawaii's youth do not have the opportunity to receive aquatic safety instruction; and

WHEREAS, less than ten percent of public and public charter elementary schools integrate aquatic safety education into their physical education curricula; and

WHEREAS, outside of schools, municipal aquatic safety programs lack the resources to meet public demand, and the cost of obtaining private lessons is often cost-prohibitive for many local families; and

WHEREAS, as a result, many children are inadequately prepared for water-related emergencies; and

WHEREAS, an assessment of Hawaii students conducted by the Hawaii Aquatics Academy during the 2018-2019 school year found that only thirty-one percent of participating students could swim for twenty-five yards, only twelve percent could float for thirty seconds, and only thirteen percent could tread water for sixty seconds; and

WHEREAS, all children should be provided equal access to standards-based aquatic safety education programs; and

WHEREAS, to achieve this, aquatic safety education should be integrated into the health and physical education curricula of public schools; and

WHEREAS, providing proper training in water safety, personal survival, and water rescue will help to ensure that the State's youth, especially those from low- and moderate-income communities, know how to avoid and recover from hazardous aquatic situations; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, that the Department of Education is requested to contract with a qualified nonprofit organization to establish aquatic safety education programs in schools that wish to participate and for which funding is available; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this aquatic safety education program be offered to elementary school students during regular school hours; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to conduct a statewide needs assessment in preparation for establishing an aquatic safety education program in all Department of Education elementary schools to be contracted with one or more qualified nonprofit organizations during regular school hours; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Education, and Superintendent of Education.

Report Title:

Children; DOE; Aquatic Safety Education; Elementary Schools

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	76
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII