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SB 329

Water safety curricula and drowning reporting.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Mark Spencer

SB 329 requires Indiana schools to teach water safety education and report drowning incidents to state health authorities for public health tracking.

First reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career Development
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Bill Summary · SB 329

Legislative bill overview

SB 329 establishes water safety curricula requirements and drowning reporting procedures in Indiana schools. The bill mandates that schools implement comprehensive water safety education and create mechanisms for reporting drowning incidents to state health authorities.

Why is this important

Drowning remains a leading cause of unintentional injury death among children, and many schools lack standardized water safety instruction. Systematic reporting of drowning incidents provides public health officials with data needed to identify trends, allocate prevention resources, and evaluate program effectiveness.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation costs: Schools may face budget pressures to develop or purchase approved curricula and hire qualified instructors, particularly in districts with limited resources
  • Curriculum scope disputes: Disagreement may arise over what constitutes adequate water safety content, whether it includes swimming proficiency requirements, and grade-level appropriateness
  • Reporting burden and privacy concerns: Schools might resist additional administrative reporting requirements, and there could be questions about data handling, confidentiality protections for affected families, and potential liability implications

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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