1 State of Arkansas
2 93rd General Assembly
3 Regular Session, 2021 HR 1019
4
5 By: Representative Rye
6
7 HOUSE RESOLUTION
8 TO ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE RESIDENTIAL SWIMMING POOL
9 SAFETY AWARENESS TO REDUCE PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTAL
10 DROWNING DEATHS OF CHILDREN WHO ARE UNDER FIVE (5)
11 YEARS OF AGE IN RESIDENTIAL SWIMMING POOLS.
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13
14 Subtitle
15 TO ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE RESIDENTIAL
16 SWIMMING POOL SAFETY AWARENESS TO REDUCE
17 PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTAL DROWNING DEATHS OF
18 CHILDREN WHO ARE UNDER FIVE (5) YEARS OF
19 AGE IN RESIDENTIAL SWIMMING POOLS.
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21
22 WHEREAS, Arkansas ranks seventh in the United State for drowning-
23 related deaths among children under seventeen (17) years of age and the
24 state's drowning rate is sixty percent (60%) higher than the national
25 average; and
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27 WHEREAS, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury
28 and death for children in Arkansas; and
29
30 WHEREAS, children ages one (1) through four (4) years of age are most
31 likely to drown in a residential swimming pool; and
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33 WHEREAS, creating a barrier around a residential swimming pool is an
34 effective way to prevent drowning deaths among young children; and
35
36 WHEREAS, residential swimming pool owners need to be educated on the
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 HR1019
1 benefits of surrounding a residential swimming pool with a barrier that:
2 (1) Is at least four feet (4') in height;
3 (2) Does not have horizontal open spaces greater than four
4 inches (4") in width; and
5 (3) Does not have more than four inches (4") of space between
6 the bottom of the barrier and the surface of the ground or the residential
7 swimming pool deck; and
8
9 WHEREAS, the Department of Health is encouraged to develop and provide
10 informational and educational material concerning:
11 (1) Residential swimming pool barriers; and
12 (2) Other residential swimming pool safety measures that may be
13 beneficial to a residential swimming pool owner,
14
15 NOW THEREFORE,
16 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL
17 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
18
19 THAT the House of Representatives encourage and promote residential
20 swimming pool safety awareness to reduce preventable accidental drowning
21 deaths of children who are under five (5) years of age in residential
22 swimming pools.
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