Free Summer Swim Lessons Bill in Connecticut

0:00A bill moving through Connecticut's legislature aims to launch free summer swimming lessons for kids under 17 from low income areas or families. On SNAP or WIC, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection would run its starting May 1, 2027, targeting qualified census tracts where poverty hits at least 25% or half the homes earn under 60% of median income. Tying tops the list for deaths in kids aged 1 to 4 nationwide, second for 5 to 14, with over 4,000 cases yearly in the U.S. In Connecticut from 2011 to 2018, nearly 65% of child drownings hit black or Hispanic youth and kids with. Autism phase 160 times the risk. Teens get caught out too, often skipping life jackets on boats, misjudging water, or mixing in alcohol. This incident's cluster may through August, over half on Fridays to Sundays, spiking on holidays like Memorial Day or July 4th. Supporters like the YMCA of Greater Hartford, a swim consultant, and the child advocate

1:04praised it in committee. The Y got past grants to teach 200 kids, noting formal lessons slash drowning risk by 88% for toddlers while urban zip codes. Lag behind wealthier spots. The Bill-Clear Committee for the Senate, backed by five lawmakers, though costs could hit $1 million for 6,000 lessons within. Available funds, past ARPA money funded similar efforts, proving it's doable to save young lives before summer hits. That wraps Hartford News today brought to you with AI. I'm Cory with The Story.