Jul 11, 2007 6:36 pm US/Central
Minn. Pool Drain Injury Prompts Safety Legislation
WASHINGTON (AP) ―
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On June 29, Abigail Taylor, of Edina, sat over an open drain hole in a wading pool at the Minneapolis Golf Club and had part of her intestinal tract torn out by the drain's powerful suction. (File)
CBS
A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation Wednesday aimed at improving pool safety, following the injury last month of a 6-year-old Minnesota girl.
The legislation, similar to a House version that's already been proposed, would ban the manufacture, sale or distribution of drain covers that do not meet anti-entrapment safety standards. It also calls on the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish a national education program on pool safety.
On June 29, Abigail Taylor, of Edina, sat over an open drain hole in a wading pool at the Minneapolis Golf Club and had part of her intestinal tract torn out by the drain's powerful suction. She remained in serious condition at Children's Hospital on Wednesday.
The Senate bill was introduced Wednesday by Sens. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and Chris Dodd, D-Conn. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., signed on as an original co-sponsor.
"I think it's a good first step," said Klobuchar.
The bill, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, is named for the 7-year-old granddaughter of James Baker, the former secretary of state. The girl drowned at a graduation party five years ago, when the suction from a drain pinned her.
Last week, Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., signed on to the House version, sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.
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Abbey's Hope Charitable Foundation, named for Abigail, was started to safeguard kids, both in and out of the pool, against preventable harm.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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