Penn State’s pools at the Natatorium and the White Building will be closed for about a week in a rollout-style schedule starting on March 23rd. The pools will be emptied in order to install a new drain system in accordance with Federal Legislation.The full schedule is as follows:

Pool: Indoor Nat Close Date: March 23, 2009 Open Date: March 30, 2009
Pool: White Building Close Date: March 30, 2009 Open Date: April 6, 2009
Pool: Outdoor Nat Close Date: April 1, 2009 Open Date: April 8, 2009

Under H.R. 1721 (Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act), all public pools are required to install a new kind of drain to prevent deaths, especially among children. The Act [summary found here], which was passed by the House of Representatives in October of 2007, was never actually made into a law. The proposed legislation was on the Senate calendar for future vote, but since Sessions of Congress last a mere two years, all unreviewed legislation is cleared from the agenda when a new Congress takes office. According the the Library of Congress, the Sponsor(s) can opt to reintroduce the bill in the new Congressional Session.

You can call 814-865-3884 or 814-865-1433 for more information on this topic or to check the status of a particular pool.