Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
State Government & Tribal Relations Committee
HB 1750
Brief Description: Promoting water safety education.
Sponsors: Representatives Berg, Reed, Taylor, Cortes, Street, Ramel, Leavitt, Kloba, Tharinger, Fosse, Gregerson, Stonier, Entenman, Reeves, Slatter, Donaghy, Santos, Hackney, Morgan, Timmons, Ormsby, Orwall, Callan, Duerr, Berry, Davis, Chapman, Abbarno, Thai, Senn, Alvarado, Walen, Rule, Doglio, Ryu and Pollet.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Designates May 15 as Water Safety Day.
  • Encourages individuals who work with children to provide training, educational materials, and other resources to the children and their families around water safety on Water Safety Day.
Hearing Date: 2/14/23
Staff: Devon Mann (786-7290) and Desiree Omli (786-7105).
Background:

Water Safety.
May is designated as National Water Safety Month and is a time that organizations help promote water safety awareness and drowning prevention.  In Washington, the State Drowning Prevention Network was developed and is led by various state and local agencies to provide a forum for organizations to work together to prevent drowning by hosting water safety events and providing training throughout Washington.
 
In the United States, someone dies from drowning every 10 minutes.  Drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4.  In Washington, drowning is one of the leading causes of unintentional injury or death for children and teens ages 1 through 17.  One out of every five drowning victims is a child, and, for every child who drowns, another five children are treated with injuries related to being submerged in water.  Nationally, almost 800 children drown every year.  Two-thirds of drowning related deaths of children occur during the time between May and August.
 
While the specific circumstances leading to a drowning death are different in every case, there are common themes seen across age groups and types of water.  Children younger than 1 year old are most likely to drown at home; children ages 1 to 4 years old are most likely to drown in a pool; and children ages 5 to 17 years old are most likely to drown in natural water.  Silence and speed are the two main characteristics of all childhood drowning, as drowning can happen sometimes in less than two minutes after a person’s head is submerged in water.
 
 
Legislatively Recognized Days.
There are 17 officially recognized days in Washington that are not state legal holidays:  Korean American Day, Columbus Day, Prisoner of War Recognition Day, Washington Army and Air National Guard Day, Purple Heart Recipient Recognition Day, Washington State Children's Day, Mother Joseph Day, Marcus Whitman Day, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, Civil Liberties Day of Remembrance, Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans day, Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Cesar Chavez Day, Dolores Huerta Day, Public Lands Day, and Blood Donor Day.
Summary of Bill:

May 15 is recognized as Water Safety Day, on which individuals who work directly with children in their profession are encouraged to provide training, educational materials, and other resources to the children and their families around water safety, water rescue, and drowning prevention.  Water Safety Day is not designated as a paid state legal holiday.
 
In memory of those lost to drowning, the act may be known and cited as "Yori's law."
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on February 9, 2023.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.