School safety: aquatic and pool safety program: model policy.

Existing law requires the Division of Boating and Waterways, in cooperation with the State Department of Education and other appropriate entities involved with water safety, to develop an aquatic safety program to be made available for use at an appropriate grade level in public elementary schools at no expense to the schools. Existing law requires the division to notify schools and school districts of the availability of the aquatic safety program once it is developed. This bill would repeal those provisions and related legislative findings. The bill would require, on or before June 1, 2022, the division and the State Department of Public Health, in cooperation with the State Department of Education and other specified entities, to develop an aquatic and pool safety program to be made available for use at local educational agencies, defined as school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools that serve pupils in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, as a model policy at no expense to the local educational agencies. The bill would require the model policy, among other things, to be age appropriate, to address the needs of groups at a higher risk of drowning, and to include specified training materials. The bill would require the State Department of Education to notify local educational agencies of the availability of the aquatic and pool safety program model policy once it is developed and to establish a deadline for local educational agencies to adopt an aquatic and pool safety program that is based on the model policy. The bill would require the governing board or body of a local educational agency to review, at minimum every 4th year, its aquatic and pool safety program and, if necessary, update the program. By imposing additional requirements on school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the State Department of Education, by January 1, 2023, to submit a report to the Legislature identifying the number of local educational agencies that have adopted an aquatic and pool safety program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.