Bill Text: IL SR0125 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Encourages school districts throughout the State of Illinois to consider providing age appropriate education intended to promote safety in, on, and around bodies of water to reduce the risk of injury or drowning.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-25 - Referred to Assignments [SR0125 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-SR0125-Introduced.html

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SR0125 LRB104 12374 ECR 22610 r
SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Illinois is contiguous to the largest body of
freshwater on the planet and contains 2,900 lakes, 84,000
ponds, and 106,940 miles of streams as well as 880 miles of
rivers along its borders; and
WHEREAS, Drowning is the number one cause of unintentional
deaths for children one to four years of age, and 54% of adult
Americans can not swim well enough to save themselves in an
emergency; and
WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control
(CDC), for every one drowning fatality, eight people are
impacted by a non-fatal drowning; and
WHEREAS, The Every Child a Swimmer (ECAS) program is a
division of the International Swimming Hall of Fame and has a
mission to ensure every child learns to swim, reducing the
devastating impact of childhood drownings across our nation;
the program provides swim lesson scholarships to low income
families, allowing every child to acquire the skills to save
themselves in an emergency; and
WHEREAS, Water safety legislation sponsored by Every Child
a Swimmer has been successfully implemented in Florida,

SR0125 - 2 - LRB104 12374 ECR 22610 r
Georgia, and Arkansas, requiring all schools K-12 to provide
information on the importance of water safety and on local
options for swim lessons as well as how to receive lessons at a
free or reduced cost; and
WHEREAS, These efforts are creating a generation of
swimmers who are safer and more prepared around the water; and
WHEREAS, By working together to improve water competency,
including swimming skills, water safety knowledge, and helping
others, water activities can be safer yet just as fun;
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we encourage school
districts throughout the State of Illinois to consider
providing age appropriate education intended to promote safety
in, on, and around bodies of water to reduce the risk of injury
or drowning; and be it further
RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
delivered to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and
the Every Child a Swimmer (ECAS) program.