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Assembly Bill A7979

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires rip current, rip tide and undertow curriculum or instruction

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Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

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2025-A7979 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S8287
Current Committee:
Assembly Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add §804-e, Ed L

2025-A7979 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts "Alexandra's law" to require school districts and charter schools to include in the curriculum or instruction teaching students how to recognize and react to rip currents, rip tides and undertows.

2025-A7979 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7979
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  SEAWRIGHT  --  read once and referred to the
   Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring rip current,
   rip tide and undertow curriculum or instruction
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 "Alexandra's Law."
   § 2. The education law is amended by adding a  new  section  804-e  to
 read as follows:
   § 804-E. RIP CURRENT, RIP TIDE AND UNDERTOW CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION.
 1. SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE AMERI-
 CAN  RED  CROSS AND ANY OTHER APPROPRIATE AGENCY, SHALL INCLUDE INSTRUC-
 TION ON TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO RECOGNIZE AND REACT  TO  RIP  CURRENTS,
 RIP  TIDES  AND  UNDERTOWS  IN AN APPROPRIATE PLACE IN THE CURRICULUM OF
 MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
   2. SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS SHALL HAVE POLICIES AND PROCE-
 DURES IN PLACE PERTAINING TO THE SELECTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS TO
 IMPLEMENT THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION.
   § 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026 and shall apply to school
 years commencing on or after such date. Effective immediately, the addi-
 tion, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or  regulation  necessary  for
 the  implementation  of this act on its effective date are authorized to
 be made and completed on or before such effective date.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11387-02-5

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