Recognizes open water lifeguards as first responders and emergency services providers.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Vin Gopal

Open-water lifeguards in New Jersey are formally recognized as first responders, acknowledging their training and life-saving duties and potentially linking them to related program

Filed with Secretary of State

Summary of Senate Resolution No. 72 (Session 222, New Jersey)

Purpose and intent

Recognizes open-water lifeguards as first responders and emergency services providers.

Highlights lifeguards’ training and duty to risk their lives to respond to and attend to victims.

Notes that other countries grant lifeguards status and access to first-responder programs; positions New Jersey lifeguards similarly for recognition and potential access to related programs.

Key provisions

Formal recognition by the New Jersey Senate that open-water lifeguards serve as first responders and emergency service providers.

Acknowledges the training, responsibilities, and life-risking duties of open-water lifeguards, aligning their status with other emergency response roles.

Committee amendments specify procedural action related to communication:

Copies of the resolution filed with the Secretary of State are to be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA).
This transmission replaces the originally stated recipients (NJ Lifeguard and American Lifeguard Association) as introduced.

Affected parties and stakeholders

Open-water lifeguards in New Jersey (lifeguarding services on open-water beaches and related environments).

Lifeguard organizations and associations, notably the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA), which is identified as the recipient for the transmitted copies.

Public and emergency services communities that recognize or integrate lifeguards in broader emergency response frameworks.

Procedural/timeline notes

Introduced in the Senate on February 5, 2026.

Referred to the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee.

The Committee approved the measure with amendments and reported it out on June 11, 2026, for 2nd Reading.

The amendment clarifies the transmission pathway of the resolution’s copies (Secretary of the Senate to USLA).

Practical implications

While primarily a symbolic and formal recognition, the resolution could influence policy discussions about access to “first responder” programs, training opportunities, and potential eligibility for benefits or resources typically available to first responders.

The clarified transmission pathway ensures appropriate liaison with a national lifeguarding organization (USLA) for formal acknowledgment.

Summary assessment

SR 72 is a Senate resolution intended to formally recognize open-water lifeguards as first responders and emergency services providers, reflecting their training and life-saving duties. The measure emphasizes international practice and seeks to align state recognition with broader emergency response frameworks. The committee amendment refines administrative details by directing official copies to the USLA. Overall, the resolution is a symbolic acknowledgment that could influence future discussions on access to first-responder programs and professional recognition for lifeguards.