Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to allocate funding for a youth water safety grant program in Minnesota. This initiative aims to improve water safety skills among young people, particularly those from low-income and at-risk backgrounds.

Main Provisions

• Funding Allocation: The bill allocates $250,000 for the fiscal year 2026 from the arts and cultural heritage fund specifically for this water safety grant program.
• Eligible Applicants: Grants will be made available to nonprofit organizations and city and county parks and recreation programs. These applicants are not required to partner with other entities to receive funding.
• Use of Funds: The primary use of grant money is to provide scholarships to low-income and at-risk children for swimming lessons. Up to 15% of the funds can be used to hire or train water safety instructors or lifeguards, ensuring they are skilled in nationally recognized water safety practices.

Significant Changes

This bill introduces a dedicated funding mechanism for improving water safety education among youth, particularly targeting those from disadvantaged communities, which represents a new commitment from the state to prioritize water safety education.

Relevant Terms

youth water safety, swimming lessons, grants, scholarships, low-income, at-risk children, water safety instructors, lifeguards, arts and cultural heritage fund, nonprofit organizations, parks and recreation programs.