State and local governments in the U.S. have until April 2 to apply to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for a special Pool Safely Grant Program (PSGP) as part of its national effort to make drowning and drain entrapment prevention a critical public safety priority.
The grant program is made possible through the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGB Act), legislation that was authored and advanced by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) Florida. Congress passed the VGB Act, and President George W. Bush signed the measure into law, in December 2007. The PSGP seeks to provide state and local governments with assistance for education, training and enforcement of pool safety requirements.
“These grants provide critical support for state and local officials to educate consumers about drowning and entrapment dangers and to enforce pool safety laws in their communities,” said CPSC acting chairman Ann Marie Buerkle. “During this 10-year anniversary of the VGB Act, we are recognizing the important role of the VGB grant program in helping to reduce the number of drowning and drain entrapment incidents. These funds will assist state and local programs to continue this lifesaving work to reduce such tragedies.”
Applicants must be a state or local government or U.S. territory that has an enacted or amended state and/or local law(s) that meet the requirements in Sections 1405 and 1406 of the VGB Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 8004 and 8005). Prospective applicants can review the PSGP online, under grant opportunity CPSC-18-001.
The CPSC expects to award $1.1 million in two-year grants to assist jurisdictions in reducing deaths and injuries from drowning and drain entrapment incidents in pools and spas.
