Legislature Passes Childhood Drowning Bill

By Forum Sta

Both the State Senate and Assembly unanimously passed a bill which would require parents of newborn children to watch a video on the causes of drowning events prior to being discharged from the hospital, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) announced on Tuesday

Currently, drowning stands as the leading cause of death in children under 4 years old, Phe er Amato noted.

The structure of the bill mirrors the decade-old mandatory requirement that parents of newborn children watch a short video on Shaken Baby Syndrome before being discharged from the hospital. The proposed legislation seeks to educate new parents to the causes of drowning events that can occur by leaving a toddler unattended in or near just two inches of water, such as what can be found in bathtubs, buckets or toilets. The State Department of Health will create and disseminate a brief video which will provide information to parents of this very real and serious situation.

“This is going to save lives,” Pheffer Amato added. “The fact that more children under 4 years old die from drowning than anything else is horrible. This is a real problem, and through this legislation we can address it and provide parents with the education to prevent a tragedy. I thank the advocates for their dedication to this issue, and I am glad to see our State take a tremendous step forward in keeping our children safe.” e bill is now pending the signature of Gov. Kathy Hochul.