$3.5 Million Available in Pool Safely Grants to Help State, Local and Tribal Governments Prevent Drownings and Drain Entrapments; Apply Now Through April 30

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is seeking applications for its Pool Safely Grant Program (PSGP or grant program) to assist state and local governments in reducing deaths and injuries from drowning and drain entrapment incidents in pools and spas. CPSC will award up to a total of $3.5 million in two-year grants to qualifying jurisdictions. The PSGP is an essential part of CPSC's national campaign to prevent drowning and drain entrapment. Drowning is one of the leading cause of deaths among young children.  

The grant program is authorized through the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGB Act), which seeks to provide state, local, and tribal governments with assistance for education, training, and enforcement of pool safety requirements, as well as anti-drowning education. Since the Act’s passage in 2007, CPSC has provided nearly $6 million in funding to 24 recipients. 

“I encourage states, local governments and others to apply for these funds to make pools and spas safer in their communities,” said CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric. “The Virginia Graeme Baker Act grants can save lives through enforcement of pool safety laws, informing the public about entrapment dangers and safety education to prevent drowning.” 

“Drowning prevention and pool safety issues have been policy priorities my whole career, and I’ll continue to help stop these preventable tragedies through laws like the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. This legislation creates lifesaving grants across the country to increase the layers of protection for all our children, and I am extremely proud that it was reauthorized in the FY23 Omnibus, and extended eligibility for the grants to Indian Tribes. I will always carry the drowning prevention banner, and take comfort in knowing that our continued work means one more child’s life can be saved,” said U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) who authored and led the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act in Congress which was later signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007.

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 the VGB Act (15 U.S.C. 8001), sections 1405 and 1406. 

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 and local 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 and 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.