CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
HOUSE BILL 1750
Chapter 181, Laws of 2023
68th Legislature
2023 Regular Session
WATER SAFETY DAY
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 23, 2023
Passed by the House March 8, 2023 CERTIFICATE
Yeas 96 Nays 0
I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the
House of Representatives of the
LAURIE JINKINS State of Washington, do hereby
Speaker of the House of certify that the attached is HOUSE
Representatives BILL 1750 as passed by the House of
Representatives and the Senate on
the dates hereon set forth.
Passed by the Senate April 12, 2023
Yeas 48 Nays 0 BERNARD DEAN
Chief Clerk
DENNY HECK
President of the Senate
Approved April 25, 2023 3:39 PM FILED
April 26, 2023
Secretary of State
JAY INSLEE State of Washington
Governor of the State of Washington
 HOUSE BILL 1750
Passed Legislature - 2023 Regular Session
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2023 Regular Session
By Representatives Berg, Reed, Taylor, Cortes, Street, Ramel,
Leavitt, Kloba, Tharinger, Fosse, Gregerson, Stonier, Entenman,
Reeves, Slatter, Donaghy, Santos, Hackney, Morgan, Timmons, Ormsby,
Orwall, Callan, Duerr, Berry, Davis, Chapman, Abbarno, Thai, Senn,
Alvarado, Walen, Rule, Doglio, Ryu, and Pollet
Read first time 02/03/23. Referred to Committee on State Government
& Tribal Relations.
1 AN ACT Relating to establishing Yori's law to promote education
2 around water safety and drowning prevention; amending RCW 1.16.050;
3 adding a new section to chapter 1.20 RCW; and creating new sections.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
5 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that drowning is the
6 leading cause of death for children aged one to four, and for every
7 death, there are five to 10 nonfatal cases requiring hospital care.
8 Babies under one year of age are more likely to drown at home, and 23
9 percent of child drownings occur during a family gathering near a
10 pool.
11 The legislature finds that most of these deaths are completely
12 preventable through education around water safety and drowning
13 prevention and increasing equitable access to swimming lessons and
14 water safety tools and equipment. The victims of childhood drowning
15 are disproportionately from communities of color. Forty-five percent
16 of Hispanic children and 64 percent of African American children have
17 limited or no ability to swim, compared to 40 percent of Caucasian
18 children. African American children ages five through 19 are
19 specifically five and one-half times more likely to drown in a
20 swimming pool compared to their Caucasian counterparts. In addition,
21 male children are twice as likely to drown. Socioeconomic factors
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 1 also have an impact on disproportionate outcomes. Children whose
2 parents are unable to swim often lack the skill as well, and 79
3 percent of children in households with an income under $50,000 have
4 limited or no ability to swim.
5 The legislature emphasizes the importance of educating children,
6 parents, and other caregivers about the basics of swimming, floating,
7 signs of drowning, and how to help drowning victims, as well as
8 bringing awareness to critical layers of protection such as barriers
9 and water safety tools and equipment. Drowning happens quickly and
10 quietly, making it important to watch children closely, raise
11 awareness, and emphasize education around water safety.
12 Sec. 2. RCW 1.16.050 and 2021 c 295 s 2 are each amended to read
13 as follows:
14 (1) The following are state legal holidays:
15 (a) Sunday;
16 (b) The first day of January, commonly called New Year's Day;
17 (c) The third Monday of January, celebrated as the anniversary of
18 the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr.;
19 (d) The third Monday of February, to be known as Presidents' Day
20 and celebrated as the anniversary of the births of Abraham Lincoln
21 and George Washington;
22 (e) The last Monday of May, commonly known as Memorial Day;
23 (f) The nineteenth day of June, recognized as Juneteenth, a day
24 of remembrance for the day the African slaves learned of their
25 freedom;
26 (g) The fourth day of July, the anniversary of the Declaration of
27 Independence;
28 (h) The first Monday in September, to be known as Labor Day;
29 (i) The eleventh day of November, to be known as Veterans' Day;
30 (j) The fourth Thursday in November, to be known as Thanksgiving
31 Day;
32 (k) The Friday immediately following the fourth Thursday in
33 November, to be known as Native American Heritage Day; and
34 (l) The twenty-fifth day of December, commonly called Christmas
35 Day.
36 (2) Employees of the state and its political subdivisions, except
37 employees of school districts and except those nonclassified
38 employees of institutions of higher education who hold appointments
39 or are employed under contracts to perform services for periods of
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 1 less than twelve consecutive months, are entitled to one paid holiday
2 per calendar year in addition to those specified in this section.
3 Each employee of the state or its political subdivisions may select
4 the day on which the employee desires to take the additional holiday
5 provided for in this section after consultation with the employer
6 pursuant to guidelines to be promulgated by rule of the appropriate
7 personnel authority, or in the case of local government by ordinance
8 or resolution of the legislative authority.
9 (3) Employees of the state and its political subdivisions,
10 including employees of school districts and those nonclassified
11 employees of institutions of higher education who hold appointments
12 or are employed under contracts to perform services for periods of
13 less than twelve consecutive months, are entitled to two unpaid
14 holidays per calendar year for a reason of faith or conscience or an
15 organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious
16 denomination, church, or religious organization. This includes
17 employees of public institutions of higher education, including
18 community colleges, technical colleges, and workforce training
19 programs. The employee may select the days on which the employee
20 desires to take the two unpaid holidays after consultation with the
21 employer pursuant to guidelines to be promulgated by rule of the
22 appropriate personnel authority, or in the case of local government
23 by ordinance or resolution of the legislative authority. If an
24 employee prefers to take the two unpaid holidays on specific days for
25 a reason of faith or conscience, or an organized activity conducted
26 under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious
27 organization, the employer must allow the employee to do so unless
28 the employee's absence would impose an undue hardship on the employer
29 or the employee is necessary to maintain public safety. Undue
30 hardship shall have the meaning established in rule by the office of
31 financial management under RCW 43.41.109.
32 (4) If any of the state legal holidays specified in this section
33 are also federal legal holidays but observed on different dates, only
34 the state legal holidays are recognized as a paid legal holiday for
35 employees of the state and its political subdivisions. However, for
36 port districts and the law enforcement and public transit employees
37 of municipal corporations, either the federal or the state legal
38 holiday is recognized as a paid legal holiday, but in no case may
39 both holidays be recognized as a paid legal holiday for employees.
40 (5) Whenever any state legal holiday:
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 1 (a) Other than Sunday, falls upon a Sunday, the following Monday
2 is the legal holiday; or
3 (b) Falls upon a Saturday, the preceding Friday is the legal
4 holiday.
5 (6) Nothing in this section may be construed to have the effect
6 of adding or deleting the number of paid holidays provided for in an
7 agreement between employees and employers of political subdivisions
8 of the state or as established by ordinance or resolution of the
9 local government legislative authority.
10 (7) The legislature declares that the following days are
11 recognized as provided in this subsection, but may not be considered
12 legal holidays for any purpose:
13 (a) The thirteenth day of January, recognized as Korean-American
14 day;
15 (b) The twelfth day of October, recognized as Columbus day;
16 (c) The ninth day of April, recognized as former prisoner of war
17 recognition day;
18 (d) The twenty-sixth day of January, recognized as Washington
19 army and air national guard day;
20 (e) The seventh day of August, recognized as purple heart
21 recipient recognition day;
22 (f) The second Sunday in October, recognized as Washington state
23 children's day;
24 (g) The sixteenth day of April, recognized as Mother Joseph day;
25 (h) The fourth day of September, recognized as Marcus Whitman
26 day;
27 (i) The seventh day of December, recognized as Pearl Harbor
28 remembrance day;
29 (j) The twenty-seventh day of July, recognized as national Korean
30 war veterans armistice day;
31 (k) The nineteenth day of February, recognized as civil liberties
32 day of remembrance;
33 (l) The thirtieth day of March, recognized as welcome home
34 Vietnam veterans day;
35 (m) The eleventh day of January, recognized as human trafficking
36 awareness day;
37 (n) The thirty-first day of March, recognized as Cesar Chavez
38 day;
39 (o) The tenth day of April, recognized as Dolores Huerta day;
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1 (p) The fourth Saturday of September, recognized as public lands
2 day; ((and))
3 (q) The eighteenth day of December, recognized as blood donor
4 day; and
5 (r) The fifteenth day of May, recognized as water safety day.
6 NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 1.20 RCW
7 to read as follows:
8 On the day recognized as water safety day under RCW 1.16.050,
9 individuals who work directly with children, from infants to age 18,
10 in their profession are encouraged to provide training, educational
11 materials, and other resources to the children and their families
12 around water safety, water rescue, and drowning prevention, including
13 a list of locations where caregivers can access swimming lessons for
14 their children.
15 NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. In memory of those lost to drowning,
16 this act may be known and cited as "Yori's law."
Passed by the House March 8, 2023.
Passed by the Senate April 12, 2023.
Approved by the Governor April 25, 2023.
Filed in Office of Secretary of State April 26, 2023.
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Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 1.16.050
Bill as Passed Legislature: 1.16.050
Session Law: 1.16.050