Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5063) to ensure continuity of staffing at Federal beaches, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material on H.R. 5063, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5063, the Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act, which is championed by Representative Jen Kiggans of Virginia.

Each year, millions of Americans visit our Federal lands to spend time outdoors with their families. Whether they are hiking a trail, camping, fishing, or spending a day at the beach, visitors should be able to safely enjoy the incredible recreation opportunities our public lands provide.

At federally managed beaches and swimming areas, lifeguards play an important role in keeping visitors safe, but when Federal agencies experience lifeguard staffing shortages, they do not always have the flexibility to quickly fill those gaps, even when trained local lifeguards may be available to help.

Representative Kiggans' bill provides a commonsense solution. Her legislation allows the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation to partner with local government agencies to provide lifeguard services when Federal lifeguards are in short supply at designated swimming areas.

Under these agreements, local lifeguards can provide services visitors depend on, including water rescue and first aid, during the peak summer season.

Representative Kiggans' legislation recognizes that the Federal Government cannot always solve staffing challenges quickly. When qualified local partners are willing and able to help keep visitors safe, Federal land managers should have the flexibility to work with them.

These partnerships can help maintain lifeguard coverage, support continued public access, and make sure families can enjoy some of our country's most popular outdoor recreational activities.

Mr. Speaker, I again thank Representative Kiggans for her leadership on this legislation introduced after her constituents highlighted lifeguard shortages that limited access and impacted safety at Assateague Island National Seashore. She worked diligently with her local community and National Park Service leadership to find a solution that will not only help keep her constituents and visitors safe but also ensure millions of visitors can continue to enjoy Virginia's pristine and world-class beaches.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5063, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans), the lead sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I once again thank Representative Kiggans for her leadership on this issue and for her valuable service as a vital member of the House Committee on Natural Resources. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5063, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 5063, the Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act.

I have the privilege of representing a district that lives on the beach and the bay. For families across coastal Virginia and the millions of Americans who visit our Federal beaches every year, water safety is incredibly important.

Last year, we saw firsthand what can happen when the Federal Government fails to adequately staff these Federal beaches.

Following a Federal hiring freeze, Assateague Island National Seashore was unable to provide its normal lifeguard coverage at the Federal beach in Chincoteague, Virginia. Families continued visiting and swimming, but the lifeguards they had come to rely on were not there.

Our local leaders stepped up. The town of Chincoteague and Accomack County took on unforeseen costs to make sure lifeguards returned to the beach and families could safely enjoy the water.

Our local governments should never be left scrambling to solve a Federal staffing problem on their own. That is why I introduced the Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act.

My bill provides a commonsense solution. When the Department of the Interior determines that a Federal swimming area is facing a lifeguard staffing shortage, it can partner with local governments to provide the necessary coverage. Importantly, when a local government steps up to provide those lifeguards, the Federal Government will reimburse it for the reasonable costs it incurs.

This applies to designated swimming areas managed by the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation that are normally monitored by Federal lifeguards.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is about public safety, accountability, and giving our communities a solution when Washington falls short.

I am grateful to the local leaders on the Eastern Shore who worked with us after seeing this problem firsthand. I am proud that we have an opportunity to make sure communities across the country have another tool to keep their beaches safe.

No family visiting a Federal beach should have to wonder whether a lifeguard will be there if and when an emergency happens.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5063 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to address lifeguard staffing shortages at Federal beaches by entering into agreements with local governments to ensure continuity of staff and proper lifeguard coverage.

This measure would apply to beaches managed by the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Reclamation.

Under these agreements, State and local governments are authorized to hire lifeguards to cover shifts at Federal beaches.

Lifeguards perform vital public safety services. While this bill provides a mechanism to prevent empty chairs, relying on local municipalities should not become a permanent Band-Aid for understaffed Federal agencies. We can't lose sight of why, one of the key reasons why, we lack enough lifeguards in the first place: the DOGE effort dedicated to firing park workers, implementing hiring freezes, and gutting our Federal agencies.

Last summer, fewer than half of the 7,700 seasonal National Park Service positions, including lifeguards, were filled. These cuts forced Federal managers to scramble, leaving communities to step in and fund these critical positions--also putting lives in danger.

As a reminder, the National Park Service has lost nearly 25 percent of its permanent workforce since the beginning of 2025 due to this administration's firing of park staff and slashing agency budgets.

While local agreements offer emergency relief--and I am very much in support of this bill--a real priority should be rebuilding a fully funded, fully staffed Federal workforce that is focused on efficiency and getting the job done while we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.