SR 53: supporting the findings and recommendations of the Hawaiʻi Water Safety coalition's Hawaiʻi Water safety plan.

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	53
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

supporting the findings and recommendations of the Hawaiʻi Water Safety coalition's Hawaiʻi Water safety plan.

 

 

     WHEREAS, the State is in the midst of a drowning crisis, ranking second behind Alaska in the number of annual drowning fatalities per one million residents; and

 

     WHEREAS, drowning is the leading cause of death for children in the State between ages one and fifteen, with twenty-six children lost between 2019 and 2023; and

 

     WHEREAS, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders comprise approximately twenty-seven percent of the State's population but thirty-six percent of drowning deaths, reflecting significant inequities in access to swimming education and water safety resources; and

 

     WHEREAS, visitors make up less than fifteen percent of the State's average daily population but comprise the majority of drowning victims, with snorkeling accounting for ninety-one percent of visitor ocean drownings; and

 

     WHEREAS, drowning incidents involving visitors threaten both the State's public health and its more than $20 billion tourism economy; and

 

     WHEREAS, drowning is the leading cause of injury-related visitor deaths in the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, non-fatal drownings, which occur at more than twice the rate of fatal drownings, often result in permanent brain damage and lifelong impacts for families; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Hawaiʻi Water Safety Coalition (HWSC), formed in 2023 and now under the umbrella of the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, has developed the Hawaiʻi Water Safety Plan (HWSP) as a comprehensive, evidenced-informed strategy aligned with the United States National Water Safety Action Plan and international best practices; and

 

     WHEREAS, the HWSP emphasizes the values of pono, laulima, kuleana, mālama, and kākou, which mean doing the right thing, cooperation, responsibility, care, and inclusion, respectively; and

 

     WHEREAS, the HWSP calls for urgent action, including the following:

 

     (1)  Establishing the HWSC as the centralized authority for water safety and drowning prevention;

 

     (2)  Expanding funding for the Department of Health to prioritize drowning prevention, fill vacant staff positions, and improve data collection;

 

     (3)  Requiring warning signage, fencing, and safety equipment at pools and at flood control structures, such as retention and detention ponds, reservoirs, and dams;

 

     (4)  Supporting lifeguard services, junior lifeguard programs, and culturally competent water safety education statewide;

 

     (5)  Supporting free water safety competency and swimming lessons for all children in the State;

 

     (6)  Addressing inequities by building and maintaining public pools in underserved communities and integrating swim lessons into school curricula;

 

     (7)  Reconvening the Department of Land and Natural Resources' task force on beach and water safety established by Act 190, Session Laws of Hawaii 1996;

 

     (8)  Ensuring that all public and private pools in the State comply with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, which mandates anti-entrapment drain covers and other safety measures to prevent suction-related drowning incidents; and

 

     (9)  Encouraging the use of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Model Aquatic Health Code as a resource and guide when creating, revising, or updating state and local aquatic program regulations, guidance, and policy; and

 

     WHEREAS, the HWSC was honored with the Safe Kids Champion for Children Award at the Safe Kids Worldwide International Childhood Injury Prevention Convention in 2025 for its outstanding contributions toward preventing childhood injuries; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Safe Kids Champion for Children Award recognizes organizations that have made a significant impact in child injury prevention, and HWSC was selected among more than twenty honorees for its leadership in addressing drowning through a plan grounded in Hawaiian culture and data-driven strategies; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the Legislature supports the findings and recommendations of the Hawaiʻi Water Safety Coalition's Hawaiʻi Water Safety Plan; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor, Department of Health, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Education, Hawaii Tourism Authority, and counties are urged to collaborate with the Hawaiʻi Water Safety Coalition to implement the Hawaiʻi Water Safety Plan; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Health, Superintendent of Education, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Mayor of each county, President of the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, and Coordinator of the Hawaiʻi Water Safety Coalition.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

 

Report Title: 

Water Safety; Drowning; Hawaii Water Safety Coalition; Hawaii Water Safety Plan