WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) released the following statement after her bill, the Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act, advanced out of the House Natural Resources Committee. This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to work with local governments to ensure there is proper lifeguard coverage in the event of a lifeguard shortage.

Congresswoman Kiggans said, “As the representative of a coastal district, I have a responsibility to ensure our beaches and federal lands have the resources they need to maintain water safety. Last summer, communities on Virginia’s Eastern Shore faced lifeguard shortages that put unnecessary strain on our local governments and raised serious concerns about public safety.”

“My bill gives the federal government the flexibility to partner with local communities when staffing shortages arise while also reimbursing them for the costs of providing this critical service. I’d like to thank Chincoteague, VA Mayor Denise Bowden for her partnership and advocacy, as well as Chairman Westerman, and my colleagues on the Natural Resources Committee for advancing this bill and I look forward to seeing the bill receive a vote on the House Floor,” she concluded.

“Ensuring that our federal public beaches are properly staffed with lifeguards during the busy summer months helps protect families and visitors while they enjoy our nation’s beaches. I commend Rep. Kiggans for her leadership on the Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act to help keep our public beaches safe and ensure everyone can enjoy the outdoors with greater peace of mind,” said Chairman Bruce Westerman of the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Read Rep. Kiggans’ remarks submitted for the committee record:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Huffman for holding this mark up and for this committee’s consideration of my bill H.R. 5063, the Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act.

I also want to thank Mayor Denise Bowden, the Committee staff and the Department of the Interior for working with my office to develop a practical solution that strengthens visitor safety while respecting the roles of both the federal government and our local communities.

Every summer, millions of Americans visit beaches and designated swimming areas managed by the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. At locations where the federal government provides seasonal lifeguard services, maintaining adequate staffing is essential to protecting public safety throughout the summer season.

Like employers across the country, the Department can occasionally face seasonal staffing challenges. This legislation ensures that temporary staffing shortages never result in diminished safety for the families who visit our public lands.

If a federal staffing shortage arises, local governments can partner with the Department to help maintain safe swimming operations because they understand how important these destinations are to their communities, local economies, and tourism. But local governments have sometimes been required to absorb costs that are ultimately the responsibility of the federal government.

While local communities have been willing partners in helping protect visitors when circumstances require, they should be able to count on our federal government to uphold their end of the bargain on federal lands. 

H.R. 5063 provides a practical, long-term framework to address these situations whenever they arise.

When the Department of the Interior determines that a designated federal swimming area cannot be adequately staffed because of a genuine lifeguard shortage, the Secretary may enter into an agreement with one or more local governments to provide qualified lifeguards. Just as importantly, those local governments will be reimbursed for the reasonable costs they incur in providing those services. 

This legislation does not create a new bureaucracy. It does not establish a new grant program. And it does not shift responsibility away from the federal government.

Instead, it gives the Department a flexible tool to ensure visitor safety is never compromised by an unexpected staffing shortage, while protecting local taxpayers from bearing costs that are ultimately the responsibility of the federal government.

The bill is also carefully tailored. It applies only when the Secretary determines that a true staffing shortage exists, not routine scheduling issues or temporary employee absences. It also applies only to designated swimming areas that are normally monitored by federally employed lifeguards. 

This establishes a permanent framework so the Department and local governments can respond quickly whenever staffing challenges arise, ensuring designated swimming areas remain safely staffed without interruption.

Ultimately, this is about protecting families who visit our public lands, supporting the local communities that welcome those visitors every year, and ensuring that federal agencies have the flexibility they need to keep America’s beaches safe. 

This is a common-sense measure that helps ensure America’s federal beaches remain safe for families today and well into the future. I respectfully ask for the Committee’s support of H.R. 5063.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back.

Background:

In September 2025, Rep. Kiggans introduced the Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act in response to lifeguard shortages on Chincoteague Island and across the Eastern Shore of Virginia last summer. Read her press release here.