CPSC Announces $2 Million in Pool Safely Grants Available for State and Local Governments to Help Prevent Drownings and Drain Entrapments; Application Date Extended to August 16, 2021-Apply Now

July 1, 2021

Note: Grants deadline extended to August 16, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is seeking applications for a Pool Safely Grant Program (PSGP or grant program) offered to state and local governments. CPSC will award up to a total of $2 million in two-year grants to assist jurisdictions in reducing deaths and injuries from drowning and drain entrapment incidents in pools and spas. The PSGP is a part of CPSC’s national campaign 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 authored and advanced by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida). The VGB Act seeks to provide state and local governments with assistance for education, training and enforcement of pool safety requirements.

“These grants can make a real difference and potentially save lives as communities work to reopen pools following the pandemic. These grants can help educate consumers about drowning and entrapment dangers and provide assistance to states and municipalities for their enforcement of pool safety laws,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Robert Adler. “State and local programs can receive funding to continue this lifesaving work to reduce the risk of drowning.”

Applicants must be a state or local government or U S. Territory that has an enacted or amended a state and/or local law(s) that meet the requirements of the VGB Act (15 U.S.C. 8001), sections 1405 and 1406.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to review the solicitation on Grants.gov, under grant opportunity CPSC-21-001. Applications will be accepted through August 16, 2021.

CPSC Awards More than $860,000 in Pool Safely Grants to Five State and Local Governments to Combat Pool and Spa Drownings and Drain Entrapments

May 7, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Acting Chairman Robert Adler and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) announced today five awardees of a grant program aimed at preventing pool and spa drownings and drain entrapments. The state and local governments, selected by CPSC, will receive more than $860,000 in Pool Safely Grant Program (PSGP) grant funds. This funding will provide the awardees financial assistance for education, training, and enforcement of pool safety requirements that are intended to save lives and prevent serious injuries.

FY 2021 Pool Safely Grant Program Awards

Jurisdictions	State	Award Amount
Florida Department of Health	Florida	$248,695
DuPage County Health Department	Illinois	$291,811
County of Middlesex	New Jersey	$128,800
District of Columbia	Washington, D.C.	$54,993
Loudoun County	Virginia	$142,968

“Unfortunately, drowning remains the number one cause of unintentional death to children ages one to four,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Robert Adler. “These grants will help states and local governments reach consumers with lifesaving information to prevent pool and spa drownings and entrapments, and will help them to enforce pool safety requirements.”

“Throughout my career I have been a passionate advocate for pool and spa safety. We must do more to stop these preventable tragedies, and I know that these grants are one of the key steps we can take to help save more children’s lives,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. “My overall goal is to reduce the number of child drownings across the country, and we can accomplish that by teaching children to swim, ensuring pools have the right safety equipment, and educating parents on the critical importance of supervising children in and near the water.”

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGB Act), which Rep. Wasserman Schultz authored and led, was passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in December 2007. The VGB Act authorizes the PSGP, which provides state and local governments with assistance for education, training, and enforcement of pool safety requirements.

CPSC’s website www.PoolSafely.gov has more information on the Pool Safely Grant program and the VGB Act, as well as free, downloadable educational materials available to the public.

FY 2020 Grants

Purpose of the Pool Safely Grant Program (PSGP)
In accordance with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, the CPSC is accepting applications for the Pool Safely Grant Program (PSGP). This program provides state and local governments with assistance to help implement enforcement and education programs, with the goal of preventing drownings and drain entrapments in pools and spas.

In FY 2020, CPSC anticipates awarding up to $2 million through competitive grant awards.

Grant Awardees

Pool Safely grant opportunities are currently available.

This application deadline for Funding Opportunity Announcement CPSC-20-001 closes June 9, 2020. Grant funds will be awarded later this year.

State and local governments are encouraged to apply. See the Funding Opportunity Announcement for more information.

FAQs can be found, here.

Legislative Information

This program is authorized under the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, Pub. L. No. 110-140, Title XIV, as amended, 15 U.S.C. §§ 8004-8005. Read the Act here.

Statement Regarding Federal Grants and Executive Order 13798

The eligibility of applicants for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Pool Safely Grants Program award is determined by statutory criteria outlined in Sec. 1405 of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, as amended.

However, it may be that a religious organization has the capability and expertise to provide services through a contract with an eligible grantee. Therefore, CPSC will include the following clause within the standard terms and conditions of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and resulting award documents:

Executive Order 13798

The grantee shall comply with Executive Order 13798 “Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty” when contracting with other entities. The grantee shall allow Religious organizations to compete on equal footing for contracts used in support of this government program. Generally, such organizations are not required to alter their religious character to participate in a government program, nor to cease engaging in explicitly religious activities outside the program, nor effectively to relinquish their Federal statutory protections for religious hiring decisions.

Pre-Award Releases

Forms

PSGP Grantees, please reference the Funding Opportunity Announcement and your Notice of Award for specific instructions and requirements pertaining to your awards and the award forms below.

Contact Information

For more information related to the program, business, administrative, or fiscal issues, or for technical assistance related to this grant, contact:

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Procurement Services/Grants Management
4330 East West Highway, Rm. 523
Bethesda, MD 20814

Phone: 301-504-7525
Email: hkincaid@cpsc.gov

FY 2019 Pool Safely Grantees

Grant Funds were awarded September 24, 2019 to the following organizations:

Jurisdictions	State	Award Amount
Florida Department of Health	FL	$250,000
Virginia Department of Health	VA	$250,000
Rhode Island Department of Health	RI	$250,000
City of North Las Vegas	NV	$123,532
City of Columbus	OH	$250,000

FY 2018 Pool Safely Grantees

Grant Funds were awarded September 19, 2018 to the following organizations:

Grantee	Award Amount
City of Bridgeport, CT	$152,000
District of Columbia	$106,202
Dupage Country Health Department	$182,388
Florida Department of Health	$249,958
Louisiana Department of Health And Hospitals	$250,000

FY 2016 Pool Safely Grantees

Grant funds were awarded on December 11, 2015, to the following organizations:

Grantee	Award Amount
City of Bridgeport, CT	$74,973.00
District of Columbia Department of Health	$170,250.00
Florida Department of Health, Broward County	$250,000.00
Florida Department of Health, Lake County	$155,061.00
City of Stamford, CT	$131,252.00

A project description for each grant-supported project is available here.