IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 331 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Drowning Prevention and Water 
Safety Month. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 2, 2009 
Mrs. TAUSCHER (for herself, Mr. WOLF, and Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce 
RESOLUTION 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Drowning 
Prevention and Water Safety Month. 
Whereas for children ages 1 to 4 and 10 to 14, drowning is 
the second leading cause of unintentional injury and 
death; 
Whereas on average, annually 3,600 injuries occur to children 
due to near drowning incidents; 
Whereas on average, of 2,725 children who were treated an-
nually in an emergency room for pool submersion, an es-
timated 10 percent sustained permanent neurological in-
jury; 
Whereas between May and August, drowning deaths among 
children increase 89 percent; 
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•HRES 331 IH 
Whereas in 2000, total drowning injuries cost the Nation 
over $16 billion; 
Whereas 91 percent of the reported non-fatal drowning inci-
dents for 2005 through 2007 and 89 percent of drowning 
fatalities for 2003 through 2005 for children under age 
5 occurred in a residential setting; 
Whereas there is a need to educate individuals and to pro-
mote awareness within society as to the causes of drown-
ing and near drowning incidents; 
Whereas State and local governments need to partner with 
policymakers, educators, nonprofits, community leaders, 
and others to develop strategies to prevent future drown-
ing and near drowning incidents; and 
Whereas the House of Representatives recognizes May 2009 
as ‘‘National Drowning Prevention and Water Safety 
Month’’: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) National Drowning Prevention and Water 
Safety Month provides an opportunity to urge pol-
icymakers, educators, nonprofits, community leaders, 
and others to educate the people of the United 
States on drowning and near drowning prevention 
and how to use primary and secondary prevention 
strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality associ-
ated with drowning and submersion injuries; 
(2) parents, caregivers, supervisors, and others 
should be encouraged to be aware of the hazards as-
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•HRES 331 IH 
sociated with children near swimming and water rec-
reational facilities, use appropriate prevention strate-
gies, and be prepared with the skills to save a child’s 
life in the event of emergencies; 
(3) it is important to incorporate ‘‘layers of 
protection’’, including active adult supervision, the 
use of drain entrapment prevention devices and sys-
tems on pools and spas to prevent entrapment, and 
the use of enclosures to prevent small children from 
gaining unsupervised access to pools and spas; and 
(4) the people of the United States, interested 
groups, and State and local governments should pro-
mote awareness of, and volunteer involvement in, 
National Drowning Prevention and Water Safety 
Month. 
Æ 
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