[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8786]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 185--RECOGNIZING AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE GOALS 
               AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL WATER SAFETY MONTH

  Mr. MORAN (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Thune, and Mr. Nelson) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 185

       Whereas, according to the 2016 report of the Consumer 
     Product Safety Commission, there were estimated averages of--
       (1) 5,600 pool- or spa-related nonfatal drowning injuries 
     treated at a hospital emergency department during each of the 
     2013 through 2015 calendar years; and
       (2) 367 pool- or spa-related nonfatal or fatal drowning 
     injuries involving children younger than 15 years old during 
     each of the 2011 through 2013 calendar years, with 77 percent 
     of those injuries involving children younger than 5 years 
     old;
       Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention, drowning is--
       (1) the leading cause of unintentional death in the United 
     States among children 1 through 4 years old; and
       (2) the second-leading cause of unintentional death in the 
     United States among children 5 through 14 years old;
       Whereas drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of 
     unintentional injury or death in the United States, and every 
     day, approximately 10 individuals die from unintentional 
     drowning, 2 of whom are children 14 years old or younger;
       Whereas the goal of National Water Safety Month is to 
     prevent or reduce the number of unintentional drowning-
     related injuries and deaths in pools and open water venues;
       Whereas the recreational water industry, as represented by 
     the organizations involved in the National Water Safety Month 
     Coalition, has contributed to that goal by--
       (1) developing, through codes and standards, safe public 
     swimming facilities and residential pools and spas; and
       (2) providing aquatic programs and public awareness 
     relating to unintentional accidents in pools and open water 
     venues;
       Whereas unintentional drowning deaths that occur each year, 
     especially of children under 5 years old, can be prevented by 
     teaching children to swim, by using barriers and other 
     devices that aid in preventing access to areas where drowning 
     could occur, and especially by providing constant adult 
     supervision without distraction;
       Whereas each public pool and spa in the United States 
     should be in compliance with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool 
     and Spa Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 8001 et seq.), which was signed 
     into law on December 19, 2007, and requires all public pools 
     to install safe drain covers that help prevent entrapment;
       Whereas each residential pool and spa in the United States 
     should be built and maintained in accordance with the 
     guidelines described in that Act or the International 
     Swimming Pool and Spa Code, which a State or locality may 
     adopt through building codes and standards;
       Whereas \2/3\ of drowning deaths occur during May through 
     August; and
       Whereas, for the tenth consecutive year, May has been 
     recognized as National Water Safety Month: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Water Safety 
     Month;
       (2) supports promoting awareness of water safety by 
     increasing public education and awareness;
       (3) acknowledges the grief of families who have faced the 
     loss of a loved one, and commends the families who, in their 
     grief, choose to promote and educate the public on water 
     safety;
       (4) encourages States, localities, and territories of the 
     United States to--
       (A) support the goals and ideals of National Water Safety 
     Month by issuing a proclamation to designate May 2017 as 
     ``National Water Safety Month'';
       (B) support the adoption of codes and standards that 
     provide safety requirements that may decrease the incidence 
     of drowning; and
       (C) engage in and encourage public awareness campaigns, 
     including campaigns that educate individuals on--
       (i) how to swim;
       (ii) layers of protection; and
       (iii) adult supervision;
       (5) recognizes the vital role that swimming and aquatic-
     related activities play in maintaining physical and mental 
     health and enhancing quality of life;
       (6) encourages efforts to educate the public about water 
     safety to prevent drownings and recreational water-related 
     injuries; and
       (7) understands the vital importance of communicating water 
     safety rules and programs to families and individuals of all 
     ages, including owners of private pools, users of public 
     swimming facilities, and visitors to waterparks.

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