Bill Text: NJ A3578 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires swimming pools to offer deep water swimming tests to children 12 years of age and younger upon request.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-08 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee [A3578 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A3578-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ALIXON COLLAZOS-GILL
District 27 (Essex and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires swimming pools to offer deep water swimming tests to children 12 years of age and younger upon request.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning swimming pools and amending P.L.2019, c.23.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.2019, c.23 (C.26:4A-5.1) is amended to read as follows:
2. a. Each seasonal swimming pool shall be inspected by the health authority prior to its opening for public use, and each year-round swimming pool shall be inspected by the health authority at least two times in each calendar year. A seasonal swimming pool may, prior to opening for public use, elect to submit to the health authority a completed Checklist for Public Recreational Bathing Facilities developed by the Department of Health, which the health authority may choose to review in lieu of conducting an onsite inspection, except that the health authority shall be required to conduct an onsite inspection of each new swimming pool prior to its opening for public use for the first time. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require any swimming pool to complete the Checklist for Public Recreational Bathing Facilities developed by the Department of Health. As used in this subsection, "health authority" means the Department of Health or a municipal, county, or regional board of health.
b. Lifeguards who are on duty at a swimming pool shall not have duties or perform any activities that would distract them or intrude upon their attention from proper observation of persons in the swimming pool area or that prevent immediate assistance to persons in distress in the water; except that nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent any lifeguard from performing minor administrative tasks, such as checking pool passes, or from performing any routine testing required by the Department of Health by regulation, including, but not limited to, testing disinfectant levels and measuring the pH of the water during operational hours, provided that the lifeguard can perform these tasks and tests without causing an imminent, significant risk to bather safety.
c. No seasonal or year-round swimming pool that was in existence on January 1, 2018 shall be required to take any steps to comply with any new requirements concerning swimming pool circulation systems established by the Department of Health by regulation on or after January 1, 2018, until such time as alterations are made to any part of that swimming pool's circulation system. As used in this subsection, "alteration" means any modification or relocation of any structure or equipment, or change of water flow patterns in an existing swimming pool, such that the design, configuration, or operating characteristics of the circulation system are different from the original design, configuration, or operating characteristics of the circulation system. The term does not include normal maintenance, repair, or replacement of equipment with the same or a newer model.
d. Each swimming pool shall offer deep water swimming tests to any patron 12 years of age or younger, upon the request of the patron or the patron's guardian. Until a patron 12 years of age or younger has successfully completed a deep water swimming test, the patron shall be required to be accompanied by an adult, within arm's length of the patron, while swimming in the pool; except that a patron who is a member of the pool's swim team, if applicable, shall be exempt from the provisions of this subsection. Confirmation of the availability of deep water swimming tests according to this subsection shall be included in an inspection of the pool by a health authority and within the Checklist for Public Recreational Bathing Facilities developed by the Department of Health.
For the purposes of this subsection, "deep water swimming test" means a swimming skill assessment, conducted by a lifeguard employed by the swimming pool, to determine a swimmer's ability to enter water that is deeper than the swimmer's chest. At a minimum, in order to pass the deep water swimming test, the patron shall swim 50 meters, or two laps of the swimming pool, and tread water for 30 seconds.
(cf: P.L.2019, c.23, s.2)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires a swimming pool in the State to offer deep water swimming tests to any patron 12 years of age or younger, upon the request of the patron or the patron's guardian. Until such a patron has successfully completed a deep water swimming test, the patron is to be required to be accompanied by an adult, within arm's length of the patron, while swimming in the pool; except that a patron who is a member of the pool's swim team, if applicable, is to be exempt from the provisions of the bill. Confirmation of the availability of such deep water swimming tests is to be included in an inspection of the pool by a health authority and within the Checklist for Public Recreational Bathing Facilities developed by the Department of Health.
For the purposes of the bill,
"deep water swimming test" means a swimming skill assessment, conducted by a
lifeguard employed by the swimming pool, to
determine a swimmer's ability to enter water
that is deeper than the swimmer's chest. At a minimum, in order to pass the deep water swimming test, the patron must be able to swim 50 meters, or two laps of the swimming pool, and tread water for 30 seconds.
