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Bush Signs New Pool Safety Law

By Jamie Burch

President Bush signed a new pool-safety bill to help protect children from drowning. Bush Signs New Pool Safety Law

Published: Wed, December 19, 2007 - 3:09 pm Last Updated: Wed, December 19, 2007 - 3:13 pm

President Bush signed into law a new pool-safety measure, advocated by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, to help protect small children from drowning.
The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act was included in a larger energy bill that passed the House late last night. The Senate passed the measure last week.
“It is a tragedy that we’ve lost young lives because of unsafe drains, and this legislation is the way to make sure that children are able to enjoy the safest pools available,” Nelson said.
The law creates new standards for private pools to make dangerous drain covers less hazardous. It also requires that barriers, like fences, to be constructed around the pool to prevent small children from entering unsupervised. All existing public pools must be updated to meet the new standards.
The act is named for Secretary of State James Baker’s granddaughter, who drowned in 2002 when suction from a pool drainpipe with a faulty cover trapped her under water.