Bill > HF3306

This bill requires Minnesota school districts to include culturally responsive, age-appropriate water safety instruction in their health curriculum, with a specific focus on reducing students' drowning risks. For school districts with access to swimming pools, the bill mandates eight weeks of swim instruction for all third-grade students, led by staff trained to address barriers that might prevent students from learning to swim. These barriers include financial constraints (such as the cost of hair maintenance or swimwear), historical fears or traumas related to swimming, and experiences of shame or comparison. The instruction must be culturally sensitive and designed to make swimming accessible to all students. Parents can opt their children out of swim instruction if the student has physical limitations or has experienced water-related trauma. The bill specifies that this requirement will become effective for the 2026-2027 school year, giving districts time to develop and implement the new curriculum. Additionally, the bill makes a minor amendment to a child screening program statute to potentially track a child's enrollment in swim instruction programs. The goal is to promote water safety skills and reduce drowning risks among young students by addressing historical and systemic barriers to swimming education.

Education

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF3306&ssn=0&y=2025