Michigan Introduces Water Safety Education Bill as Drowning Claims Lives in Great Lakes State

More Than 700 Michigan Residents Died From Drowning in 2019-2023

LANSING — A new Michigan House bill could make water education mandatory in the classroom, something voters and advocacy groups have been pushing for years.

In Michigan, you are never more than six miles away from a body of water, such as an inland lake, river or stream. A push is underway in Lansing right now to equip our youngest residents with the knowledge they need to stay safe.

"Drowning is truly a global health crisis. In the past 10 years, over 2.5 million individuals have drowned around the world," said Joseph Matulis, a St. John's public school teacher. "In the U.S., drowning kills over 4,500 annually and is the leading cause of death for children 1 to 4."

Recent data shows that from 2019 to 2023, more than 700 Michigan residents died from drowning, according to Matulis. The number one reason why a child will not make it to kindergarten is that they died in a failed drowning incident, said Dave Benjamin from The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.

You don't outgrow drowning, those like Benjamin said, you out-teach it.

"One of our biggest advocacies is we need to have water safety education in schools," said Benjamin. "A water safety school curriculum would be the fastest approach to reach the largest audience in the shortest amount of time, which would also be the most cost-effective."

House Bill 4477 Enters Committee

House Bill 4477, introduced by Rep. Bonnie Steele in May 2025, is finally getting testimony in front of a committee in Lansing.

"House Bill 4477 provides us a tremendous opportunity," said Matulis. "It's an opportunity to protect children and youth from the tragedy of drowning, an opportunity for children and youth to gain the benefits of swimming and participating in aquatic activities more safely, an opportunity to invest in the safety of the next generation."

The bill would require the state Department of Education to develop a program on water safety instruction to be taught to students in kindergarten through 8th grade. It will include basics on a wide range of topics to best equip young people to handle Michigan's wide range of water.

"We're talking about a person's behaviors around water and if we don't have education to teach people about the hazards of water, they're not going to be able to make smart choices," said Benjamin.

Those in support of this say smart choices save lives, especially in a place where we simply are never that far from water.

Drowning Prevention Advocates Push for Action

Matulis, the St. John's public school teacher, sees the bill as a tremendous opportunity to protect children and youth from the tragedy of drowning.

Benjamin from The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project emphasizes that a water safety school curriculum would be the fastest approach to reach the largest audience in the shortest amount of time, which would also be the most cost-effective.

Both advocates agree that water safety education in schools could save lives across Michigan.

Sources:

• New Michigan bill could make water education mandatory in kids classrooms - WPBN/WGTU - https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/new-michigan-bill-could-make-water-education-mandatory-in-kids-classrooms-swimming-drowning-lansing-safety
• New Michigan bill could make water education mandatory in kids classrooms - WMWT - https://wwmt.com/news/state/new-michigan-bill-could-make-water-education-mandatory-in-kids-classrooms-swimming-drowning-lansing-safety