119-hr5063

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5063 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5063

 To ensure continuity of staffing at Federal beaches, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 August 29, 2025

 Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To ensure continuity of staffing at Federal beaches, and for other 
 purposes.

 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 
shall 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.--

    (1) In general.--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.

    (2) Current agreements.--If an agreement has been entered 
 into by the Secretary and a local government agency for 
 lifeguard services at a designated swim location on or before 
 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
 amend such agreement as necessary to provide for the 
 reimbursement of the local government agency for all reasonable 
 costs incurred by the local government agency in carrying out 
 the agreement, regardless of the terms of the original 
 agreement relating to cost sharing.
            (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.
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