Bill Text: CA AB2124 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Department of Parks and Recreation: swimming lesson vouchers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-24 - In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file. [AB2124 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB2124-Amended.html
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Amended
IN
Assembly
April 04, 2024 |
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Amended
IN
Assembly
March 19, 2024 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2124
| Introduced by Assembly Member Davies |
February 06, 2024 |
An act to add Section 515 to the Public Resources Code, relating to water safety.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2124, as amended, Davies.
Department of Parks and Recreation: swimming lesson vouchers.
Existing law establishes the Natural Resources Agency, which consists of various departments, including the Department of Parks and Recreation. Existing law requires the Director of Parks and Recreation to establish the Outdoor Equity Grants Program to increase the ability of underserved and at-risk populations to participate in outdoor environmental educational experiences at state parks and other public lands where outdoor environmental education programs take place.
This bill would establish the Swimming Lesson Voucher Program and require the department to administer the program, for the purpose of increasing water safety in this state by offering vouchers for swimming lessons at no cost to children 4 years of age or younger whose families have an income of no more than 200% of the federal poverty level. The bill would require the
department to contract with, and establish a network of, swimming lesson vendors that accept swimming lesson vouchers offered by the program in exchange for providing swimming lessons, to verify those vendors have adequate and appropriate training to provide swimming lessons, to establish the application method and eligibility criteria for swimming lesson vouchers, as provided, and to issue swimming lesson vouchers for eligible children. children, and to adopt rules and regulations necessary to administer the program. The bill would make implementation of these provisions contingent upon an appropriation for these purposes in the
annual Budget Act or another statute.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 515 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:515.
(a) The Swimming Lesson Voucher Program is hereby established and shall be administered by the department. The purpose of the program is to increase water safety in this state by offering vouchers for swimming lessons at no cost to children four years of age or younger whose families have an income of no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.(b) The department shall do all of the following:
(1) Contract with, and establish a network of, swimming lesson vendors that accept swimming lesson vouchers offered by the program in exchange for providing swimming lessons. To ensure that the swimming lessons are
available throughout this state, the department shall, to the extent feasible, contract with at least one swimming lesson vendor in each county.
(2) Verify that swimming lesson vendors have adequate and appropriate training to provide swimming lessons for the voucher recipient.
(2)
(3) Establish the application method and eligibility criteria for swimming lesson vouchers, which shall include, but not be limited to, all the following:
(A) The voucher recipient shall be four years of age or younger.
(B) The voucher recipient’s family income shall not exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
(C) Proof of the voucher recipient’s residency in this state shall be provided.
(3)
(4) Issue swimming lesson vouchers for eligible children.
(4)
(5) Adopt rules and regulations necessary to administer the program.
(c) The department may seek grants or other public or private funding for the program.
(d)A swimming lesson vendor that offers swimming lessons at a public pool that is owned or maintained by a county or municipality shall participate in the program if requested by the department.
(e)
(d) The implementation of this section is contingent upon an appropriation for these purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
