[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H5563-H5564]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SAFE BEACHES, SAFE SWIMMERS ACT
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5063) to ensure continuity of staffing at Federal beaches,
and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5063
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers
Act''.
SEC. 2. ADEQUATE LIFEGUARD STAFFING AT FEDERAL SWIMMING AREAS
AND BEACHES.
(a) In General.--If the Secretary determines there is a
staffing shortage with respect to a designated swim location,
the Secretary may seek to enter into an agreement with one or
more local government agencies to enable lifeguards employed
by those local government agencies to--
(1) adequately staff such designated swim location during
normal seasonal operating hours; and
(2) ensure visitor safety and provide rescue and first aid
services at the designated swim location as necessary.
(b) Reimbursement.--In entering into an agreement under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure that the local
government agency providing the lifeguard services is
reimbursed for all reasonable costs incurred by the local
government agency in carrying out the agreement.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Designated swim location.--The term ``designated swim
location'' means a swimming area or swimming beach--
(A) on lands and waters managed by the National Park
Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the
Bureau of Land Management, or the Bureau of Reclamation; and
(B) that is typically monitored by federally employed
lifeguards during normal seasonal operating hours.
(2) Staffing shortage.--
(A) In general.--The term ``staffing shortage'' means a
level of staffing that negatively impacts the ability to
adequately staff a designated swim location with federally
employed lifeguards and will likely result or has resulted in
a designated swim location being left unmonitored by
federally employed lifeguards during normal seasonal
operating hours.
(B) Exclusion.--The term ``staffing shortage'' does not
refer to short-term staffing shortages caused by temporary
absences, such as an employee taking annual or sick leave.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hoyle)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
General Leave
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
add extraneous material on H.R. 5063, the bill now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5063, the Safe Beaches, Safe
Swimmers Act, which is championed by Representative Jen Kiggans of
Virginia.
Each year, millions of Americans visit our Federal lands to spend
time outdoors with their families. Whether they are hiking a trail,
camping, fishing, or spending a day at the beach, visitors should be
able to safely enjoy the incredible recreation opportunities our public
lands provide.
[[Page H5564]]
At federally managed beaches and swimming areas, lifeguards play an
important role in keeping visitors safe, but when Federal agencies
experience lifeguard staffing shortages, they do not always have the
flexibility to quickly fill those gaps, even when trained local
lifeguards may be available to help.
Representative Kiggans' bill provides a commonsense solution. Her
legislation allows the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation to
partner with local government agencies to provide lifeguard services
when Federal lifeguards are in short supply at designated swimming
areas.
Under these agreements, local lifeguards can provide services
visitors depend on, including water rescue and first aid, during the
peak summer season.
Representative Kiggans' legislation recognizes that the Federal
Government cannot always solve staffing challenges quickly. When
qualified local partners are willing and able to help keep visitors
safe, Federal land managers should have the flexibility to work with
them.
These partnerships can help maintain lifeguard coverage, support
continued public access, and make sure families can enjoy some of our
country's most popular outdoor recreational activities.
Mr. Speaker, I again thank Representative Kiggans for her leadership
on this legislation introduced after her constituents highlighted
lifeguard shortages that limited access and impacted safety at
Assateague Island National Seashore. She worked diligently with her
local community and National Park Service leadership to find a solution
that will not only help keep her constituents and visitors safe but
also ensure millions of visitors can continue to enjoy Virginia's
pristine and world-class beaches.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5063, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5063 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to
address lifeguard staffing shortages at Federal beaches by entering
into agreements with local governments to ensure continuity of staff
and proper lifeguard coverage.
This measure would apply to beaches managed by the National Park
Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land
Management, and the Bureau of Reclamation.
Under these agreements, State and local governments are authorized to
hire lifeguards to cover shifts at Federal beaches.
Lifeguards perform vital public safety services. While this bill
provides a mechanism to prevent empty chairs, relying on local
municipalities should not become a permanent Band-Aid for understaffed
Federal agencies. We can't lose sight of why, one of the key reasons
why, we lack enough lifeguards in the first place: the DOGE effort
dedicated to firing park workers, implementing hiring freezes, and
gutting our Federal agencies.
Last summer, fewer than half of the 7,700 seasonal National Park
Service positions, including lifeguards, were filled. These cuts forced
Federal managers to scramble, leaving communities to step in and fund
these critical positions--also putting lives in danger.
As a reminder, the National Park Service has lost nearly 25 percent
of its permanent workforce since the beginning of 2025 due to this
administration's firing of park staff and slashing agency budgets.
While local agreements offer emergency relief--and I am very much in
support of this bill--a real priority should be rebuilding a fully
funded, fully staffed Federal workforce that is focused on efficiency
and getting the job done while we are good stewards of taxpayer
dollars.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans), the lead sponsor of this bill.
Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my
bill, H.R. 5063, the Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act.
I have the privilege of representing a district that lives on the
beach and the bay. For families across coastal Virginia and the
millions of Americans who visit our Federal beaches every year, water
safety is incredibly important.
{time} 1600
Last year, we saw firsthand what can happen when the Federal
Government fails to adequately staff these Federal beaches.
Following a Federal hiring freeze, Assateague Island National
Seashore was unable to provide its normal lifeguard coverage at the
Federal beach in Chincoteague, Virginia. Families continued visiting
and swimming, but the lifeguards they had come to rely on were not
there.
Our local leaders stepped up. The town of Chincoteague and Accomack
County took on unforeseen costs to make sure lifeguards returned to the
beach and families could safely enjoy the water.
Our local governments should never be left scrambling to solve a
Federal staffing problem on their own. That is why I introduced the
Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act.
My bill provides a commonsense solution. When the Department of the
Interior determines that a Federal swimming area is facing a lifeguard
staffing shortage, it can partner with local governments to provide the
necessary coverage. Importantly, when a local government steps up to
provide those lifeguards, the Federal Government will reimburse it for
the reasonable costs it incurs.
This applies to designated swimming areas managed by the National
Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and
Bureau of Reclamation that are normally monitored by Federal
lifeguards.
Mr. Speaker, this bill is about public safety, accountability, and
giving our communities a solution when Washington falls short.
I am grateful to the local leaders on the Eastern Shore who worked
with us after seeing this problem firsthand. I am proud that we have an
opportunity to make sure communities across the country have another
tool to keep their beaches safe.
No family visiting a Federal beach should have to wonder whether a
lifeguard will be there if and when an emergency happens.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Safe Beaches, Safe
Swimmers Act.
Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I once again thank Representative Kiggans
for her leadership on this issue and for her valuable service as a
vital member of the House Committee on Natural Resources. I urge my
colleagues to support H.R. 5063, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5063, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________