Drowning prevention: public schools: informational materials.

Header changed from Assembly Bill passage format to authenticated chaptered format with Chapter 387 designation and Governor's approval date of October 6, 2025.

Page numbering and line wrapping adjusted throughout to fit the standard chaptered bill layout (page numbers changed from 93 to 92, page markers changed from AB 1005 to Ch. 387).

The document was converted from the official chaptered legal format (with page numbers, 'STATE OF CALIFORNIA / AUTHENTICATED / ELECTRONIC LEGISLATIVE MATERIAL' header) into a web page layout with navigation elements, a version history list showing amendment dates, and a search interface. The underlying bill text (Sections 1 through 7) is substantively identical in both versions.

The entire Swim Lesson Voucher and Swim Lesson Directory Development Plan Partnership was removed. This included: establishment of a 10-member stakeholder advisory group within CDPH; requirements to develop model agreements for voucher-accepting swim programs by July 1, 2027; eligibility criteria (California resident under 18, family income at or below 250% of federal poverty level, or beneficiary of Medi-Cal/CalFresh/CalWORKs/LIHEAP); a free statewide online directory of swim lesson programs listed by county; funding recommendations; and a sunset date of July 1, 2028 with repeal on January 1, 2029.

The bill's title and legislative counsel's digest were narrowed. The former digest described two major components (school materials AND the voucher program); the enrolled digest describes only school-based informational materials and CDPH regulatory review authority. The short title changed from 'swim lesson vouchers and swim lesson directory. materials' to simply 'informational materials.'

Standard enrolled-bill formatting changes: removal of amendment history headers, addition of Assembly passage date (September 12, 2025) and Senate passage date (September 11, 2025), renumbering of sections, and addition of Governor approval block.

The partnership is now formally established as a stakeholder advisory group within the Injury and Violence Prevention Branch of the State Department of Public Health, in consultation with the State Department of Developmental Services, rather than existing as a standalone entity.

Partnership membership composition changes: state agency representatives are no longer appointed by the Governor but instead include named representatives of the State Department of Public Health and State Department of Developmental Services. Expert members are now identified by 'relevant water safety and drowning prevention stakeholder organizations, including the Drowning Prevention Foundation' rather than solely by the Drowning Prevention Foundation.

The State Department of Education must now consult with the State Department of Developmental Services and the State Department of Public Health when gathering and making available water safety education resources on its website.

A deadline of July 1, 2027 is added for the partnership to complete all required tasks including developing model agreements, establishing eligibility criteria, building the directory, and creating a funding action plan.

A sunset provision (Section 131357.5) makes the entire chapter inoperative on July 1, 2028, and repealed as of January 1, 2029, giving the partnership a defined two-year operational window.

Income verification for swim lesson vouchers is expanded from a general reference to 'income-based federal or state benefits' to specifically naming Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs, and the federal LIHEAP program as acceptable proof of eligibility, in addition to showing current income.

The requirement that model written agreements be established with at least one swim lesson program in each county is softened to an encouragement to establish such programs, while the model agreements themselves must now account for different public and private program models.

References to curriculum identified by the Drowning Prevention Foundation are broadened to include 'other relevant water safety and drowning prevention stakeholder organizations.'

The amendment to Education Code Section 51890, which would have added 'water safety and drowning prevention education' to the list of subjects in comprehensive health education programs, is entirely removed from the bill.

A new subdivision (b)(2) in Section 51140 authorizes and encourages public schools to provide water safety informational materials directly to pupils through multiple means including school assemblies, classroom instruction, or library programs. Materials must be age- and grade-appropriate, aligned with CDC drowning prevention information as identified by the State Department of Education, and provided for free by drowning prevention or children safety organizations.

Coauthors Assembly Members Alanis, Chen, and Flora are added to the bill.

New Section 51142 is removed. This section had allowed school administrators to select among multiple drowning prevention organizations based on fit with their population and distribution efficiency, and prohibited other organizations from contesting a selected organization's materials for a given school year.

Section 51141 requirements on drowning prevention organizations are reduced from five to two. Removed: the requirement to correspond only with a school administrator or authorized entity, the requirement to approach only during regular business hours, and the requirement that printed materials be no larger than legal size or in folded pamphlet format. The remaining cost-free provision is expanded to also require organizations to allow schools to offer copies to pupils and parents and decide how materials are made available.

Section 51140(b) is simplified by removing the distinction between the 2024-25/2025-26 school years and the 2026-27 school year. The old version had a separate provision for 2026-27 that allowed materials to be provided at an agreed-upon time (but no later than the first week of May). The new version uses a single unified provision: schools are authorized to provide materials at enrollment and the beginning of each school year, and are encouraged to do so during the first week of May.

The legislative findings in Section 1(e) and Health and Safety Code Section 116036(b) are expanded to state that swim skills and water competency development is 'well established through evidence-based research to have an impact of reducing drowning' and is 'declared an essential component of California's actions toward preventing drowning for all ages of children and adults.'

The entire Swimming Lesson Voucher Pilot Program (new Public Resources Code Section 515) is removed. This program would have been directly administered by the Department of Parks and Recreation, issuing vouchers for free swim lessons to children under 18 in families at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. The bill no longer adds any provision to the Public Resources Code.

Section 51900.1 (State Department of Education resources) now references only the Drowning Prevention Foundation as a source for existing curriculum, removing the prior reference to Stop Drowning Now.

The standard for verifying that drowning prevention materials are evidence-based changed from alignment with 'at least one expert organization' (a defined list of 12 named entities including the US Coast Guard, American Academy of Pediatrics, and USA Swimming Foundation) to alignment with the drowning prevention web page of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The language requirement for informational materials changed from requiring English plus encouragement to provide materials in 'the three other most commonly spoken languages' to requiring English plus encouragement to provide materials in 'the other most commonly spoken languages based on available data from the department,' removing the fixed number of three.

The definition of 'expert organization' listing 12 specific national organizations is entirely removed from Section 51139 of the Education Code.

The removed Public Resources Code section had specific provisions for seeking funding from the Drowning Prevention Foundation, corporate donors, and individuals to cover program and directory costs. The remaining partnership model retains a similar funding-seeking function but without naming specific foundations.

A new 'Swim Lesson Voucher and Swim Lesson Directory Development Plan Partnership' is established under Health and Safety Code Section 116064.3. This partnership of up to 10 members (local parks and recreation district representatives, state agencies, and drowning prevention experts, all appointed by the Governor) will develop model guidelines for a swim lesson voucher program and statewide directory, rather than the department directly administering the program.

A new legislative intent statement was added to Section 51140 stating that public schools receiving information should facilitate sharing it with parents, caregivers, or guardians of pupils.

DIP organizations may now correspond not only with a school administrator but also with 'a school entity authorized by the school district or school, which also may include the school's parent-teacher association or an equivalent association.' This broadens who can serve as the point of contact at a school.

The written evidence requirement for DIP organizations now specifies the evidence must be 'in the form of a letter or document, either of which shall be no longer than one page,' and must demonstrate alignment with information found on the CDC drowning prevention web page. The topic list also adds 'rescue' alongside drowning, water safety, and swim skills.

Printed informational materials may now also be provided as 'online informational materials,' giving DIP organizations a new format option beyond legal-size paper or folded pamphlets.

The language requirement for informational materials changed from requiring the 'three most commonly spoken languages' to requiring English and encouraging (but not requiring) the three other most commonly spoken languages based on department data.

The partnership's role in funding is described as making 'recommendations and an action plan' to seek contributors, rather than the department directly seeking various contributors. This shifts the funding strategy from direct action to a planning and recommendation function.

In the new partnership section (116064.3), proof of family income at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level may be shown by 'proof of receiving income-based federal or state benefits,' broadening the original language which referenced only 'state benefits.'

Section 51900.1 was revised to specify that the department should refer to 'existing, freely accessible, age- and grade-appropriate curriculum that has been identified by the Drowning Prevention Foundation and Stop Drowning Now...that can be used in school settings,' making the reference more specific about the type of materials.