$3.5 Million Available to State, Local, and Tribal Governments

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently announced a 90-day solicitation for grant applications for its Pool Safely Grant Program (PSGP or grant program) for state, local, and tribal governments. CPSC expects to award $3.5 million in 2-year grants in Fiscal Year 2023 to reduce deaths and injuries from drowning and drain entrapments in pools and spas. The grant program is a part of CPSC's national effort to make drowning and drain entrapment prevention a critical public safety priority.

To assist applicants, CPSC is hosting an informational webinar [password: Guest (48378 from phones)] on March 22, 2023, at 2PM ET. During the webinar CPSC staff will provide an overview of the grant program and address eligibility and components of the application.

The grant program is authorized through the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, (VGB Act), which Representative Wasserman Schultz authored and led, and President George W. Bush signed 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. Since the Act's passage in 2007, CPSC has provided nearly $6 million in funding to 24 recipients.

"These grants provide critical support for state and local officials to educate consumers about   drowning and entrapment dangers and enforce pool safety laws in their community," said CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric. "These funds will assist state and local programs to continue this lifesaving work to prevent these tragedies."

Grant applicants must be a state, local government, Indian Tribe or U. S. Territory that has an enacted or amended a law that meets the requirements of sections 1405 and 1406 of the VGB Act (15 U.S.C. 8004, 8005).

Prospective applicants can review the solicitation on Grants.gov, under grant opportunity CPSC-23-001. Applications will be accepted through April 30, 2023. 

CPSC's website, www.PoolSafely.gov, has more information about the Pool Safely Grant Program and the VGB Act. PoolSafely.gov has free, downloadable information for the general public, state, local and tribal officials, the swimming pool and spa community, and the media.

This child safety law has helped reduce the risk of drowning and drain entrapment by requiring public pools and spas to install new safety drain covers. Additionally, it has increased safety through federal grants and education programs to encourage states and localities to require residential pools and spas to utilize physical barriers, such as a fence completely surrounding the pool, with self-closing, self-latching gates. See additional pool safety tips at www.poolsafely.gov.

Jurisdictions can contact CPSC's Grants Management Specialist Harvey Kincaid at hkincaid@cpsc.gov or 301-504-7525 for more information.

Individual Commissioners may have statements related to this topic.  Please visit www.cpsc.gov/commissioners to search for statements related to this or other topics.

About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.

Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.

For lifesaving information:
- Visit CPSC.gov.
- Sign up to receive our e-mail alerts.
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC.
- Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
- Call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
- Contact a media specialist. 

Release Number: 23-152

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission