What This Bill Does
This bill creates a program called the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program through the National Park Service. The program gives grants to eligible entities to buy land and water for parks and outdoor recreation spaces in urban areas, or to build and improve outdoor recreation facilities that people can use.
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Who It Affects
- States and cities that want to create or improve parks and outdoor recreation spaces
- Counties and special purpose districts that manage open space
- Indian Tribes, urban Indian organizations, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities and organizations
- Low-income communities and underserved communities in urban areas
- Nonprofits described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (tax-exempt organizations)
- The Secretary of the Interior (who runs the program)
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Key Provisions
- The Secretary of the Interior shall establish a grant program that awards money to eligible entities for projects that either acquire land and water for parks and outdoor recreation in qualifying areas, or develop new or renovate existing outdoor recreation facilities that provide opportunities to the public in qualifying areas. (Sec. 3(a)(1))
- To receive a grant, an eligible entity must provide matching funds in cash or in-kind contribution equal to at least 100 percent of the grant amount, though the Secretary can waive this requirement if no reasonable means exist for the entity to meet it and the project benefits outweigh the public interest in the matching requirement. (Sec. 3(b))
- No more than 10 percent of grant funds may be used for administrative expenses. (Sec. 3(b)(3))
- The Secretary shall give priority to projects that create or enhance access to parks in urban neighborhoods, engage underserved communities and youth, provide job training, establish public-private partnerships, and coordinate among different government levels. (Sec. 3(a)(2))
- Grant recipients cannot use funds for incidental land acquisition costs like appraisal and titling, operation and maintenance, facilities for semiprofessional or professional athletics, indoor facilities, or land that restricts access to specific people. (Sec. 3(d)(2))
- The Secretary must conduct initial screening and technical review of applications, evaluate and score all qualifying applications, and provide culturally and linguistically appropriate information to eligible entities about how to apply and how to use grants. (Sec. 4)
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What Changes
If this becomes law, the existing Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program becomes officially written into federal law. States, cities, counties, tribes, and nonprofits can apply for federal grants to create or improve parks and outdoor recreation spaces in urban areas with populations of 25,000 or more. Communities will have a formal process to obtain federal funding for these projects instead of relying only on informal or temporary programs.
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Important Definitions
- "Eligible entity" means an organization that represents or serves a qualifying area
- "Qualifying area" means an urbanized area or urban cluster with a population of 25,000 or more, or an area administered by an Indian Tribe or Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian community
- "Low-income community" means any census block group where 30 percent or more of people have household income at or below the greater of 80 percent of the area's median income or 200 percent of the Federal poverty line
- "Eligible nonprofit organization" means an organization that qualifies as tax-exempt under federal tax code section 501(c)(3)
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 448
To codify the existing Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program of
the National Park Service, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 15, 2023
Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Ms. COLLINS, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. KING, Mr.
SANDERS, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. BOOKER, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. MAR-
KEY, Ms. WARREN, Mr. PETERS, Mr. HICKENLOOPER, Mr. OSSOFF, Mr.
BLUMENTHAL, Mr. WYDEN, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr.
CASEY, and Mr. LUJA´N) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
A BILL
To codify the existing Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partner-
ship Program of the National Park Service, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Outdoors for All Act’’.
4
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
5
In this Act:
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(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
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ty’’ means an entity that represents or otherwise
2
serves a qualifying area.
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(2) ELIGIBLE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The
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term ‘‘eligible nonprofit organization’’ means an or-
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ganization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of
6
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt
7
from taxation under section 501(a) of such code.
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(3) ENTITY.—The term ‘‘entity’’ means—
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(A) a State;
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(B) a political subdivision of a State, in-
11
cluding—
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(i) a city;
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(ii) a county; and
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(iii) a special purpose district that
15
manages open space, including a park dis-
16
trict; and
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(C) an Indian Tribe, urban Indian organi-
18
zation, or Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian
19
community or organization.
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(4) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’
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has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the
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Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance
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Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
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(5) LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY.—The term ‘‘low-
1
income community’’ means any census block group
2
in which 30 percent or more of the population are
3
individuals with an annual household equal to, or
4
less than, the greater of—
5
(A) an amount equal to 80 percent of the
6
median income of the area in which the house-
7
hold is located, as reported by the Department
8
of Housing and Urban Development; and
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(B) an amount equal to 200 percent of the
10
Federal poverty line.
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(6) OUTDOOR RECREATION LEGACY PARTNER-
12
SHIP
PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Outdoor Recreation
13
Legacy Partnership Program’’ means the program
14
established under section 3(a).
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(7) QUALIFYING AREA.—The term ‘‘qualifying
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area’’ means—
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(A) an urbanized area or urban cluster
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that has a population of 25,000 or more in the
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most recent census;
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(B) 2 or more adjacent urban clusters with
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a combined population of 25,000 or more in the
22
most recent census; or
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•S 448 IS
(C) an area administered by an Indian
1
Tribe or an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian
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community organization.
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(8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
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the Secretary of the Interior.
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(9) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of
6
the several States, the District of Columbia, and
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each territory of the United States.
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SEC. 3. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.
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(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish
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an outdoor recreation legacy partnership program
12
under which the Secretary may award grants to eli-
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gible entities for projects—
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(A) to acquire land and water for parks
15
and other outdoor recreation purposes in quali-
16
fying areas; and
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(B) to develop new or renovate existing
18
outdoor recreation facilities that provide out-
19
door recreation opportunities to the public in
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qualifying areas.
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(2) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants to eligible
22
entities under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall
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give priority to projects that—
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•S 448 IS
(A) create or significantly enhance access
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to park and recreational opportunities in an
2
urban neighborhood or community;
3
(B) engage and empower underserved com-
4
munities and youth;
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(C) provide employment or job training op-
6
portunities for youth or underserved commu-
7
nities;
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(D) establish or expand public-private
9
partnerships, with a focus on leveraging re-
10
sources; and
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(E) take advantage of coordination among
12
various levels of government.
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(b) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—As a condition of receiving a
15
grant under subsection (a), an eligible entity shall
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provide matching funds in the form of cash or an in-
17
kind contribution in an amount equal to not less
18
than 100 percent of the amounts made available
19
under the grant.
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(2) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive all or
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part of the matching requirement under paragraph
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(1) if the Secretary determines that—
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•S 448 IS
(A) no reasonable means are available
1
through which the eligible entity can meet the
2
matching requirement; and
3
(B) the probable benefit of the project out-
4
weighs the public interest in the matching re-
5
quirement.
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(3) ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES.—Not more
7
than 10 percent of funds provided to an eligible enti-
8
ty under a grant awarded under subsection (a) may
9
be used for administrative expenses.
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(c) CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding grants to eligible
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entities under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consider
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the extent to which a project would—
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(1) provide recreation opportunities in under-
14
served communities in which access to parks is not
15
adequate to meet local needs;
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(2) provide opportunities for outdoor recreation
17
and public land volunteerism;
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(3) support innovative or cost-effective ways to
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enhance parks and other recreation—
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(A) opportunities; or
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(B) delivery of services;
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(4) support park and recreation programming
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provided by cities, including cooperative agreements
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•S 448 IS
with community-based eligible nonprofit organiza-
1
tions;
2
(5) develop Native American event sites and
3
cultural gathering spaces; and
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(6) provide benefits such as community resil-
5
ience, reduction of urban heat islands, enhanced
6
water or air quality, or habitat for fish or wildlife.
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(d) ELIGIBLE USES.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), a
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grant recipient may use a grant awarded under sub-
10
section (a) for a project described in paragraph (1)
11
or (2) of that subsection.
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(2) LIMITATIONS ON USE.—A grant recipient
13
may not use grant funds for—
14
(A) incidental costs related to land acquisi-
15
tion, including appraisal and titling;
16
(B) operation and maintenance activities;
17
(C) facilities that support semiprofessional
18
or professional athletics;
19
(D) indoor facilities, such as recreation
20
centers or facilities that support primarily non-
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outdoor purposes; or
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(E) acquisition of land or interests in land
23
that restrict access to specific persons.
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•S 448 IS
SEC. 4. REVIEW AND EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS.
1
In carrying out the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Part-
2
nership Program, the Secretary shall—
3
(1) conduct an initial screening and technical
4
review of applications received;
5
(2) evaluate and score all qualifying applica-
6
tions; and
7
(3) provide culturally and linguistically appro-
8
priate information to eligible entities (including low-
9
income communities and eligible entities serving low-
10
income communities) on—
11
(A) the opportunity to apply for grants
12
under this Act;
13
(B) the application procedures by which el-
14
igible entities may apply for grants under this
15
Act; and
16
(C) eligible uses for grants under this Act.
17
SEC. 5. REPORTING.
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(a) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than 30 days after
19
the last day of each report period, each State lead agency
20
that receives a grant under this Act shall annually submit
21
to the Secretary performance and financial reports that—
22
(1) summarize project activities conducted dur-
23
ing the report period; and
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(2) provide the status of the project.
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(b) FINAL REPORTS.—Not later than 90 days after
1
the earlier of the date of expiration of a project period
2
or the completion of a project, each State lead agency that
3
receives a grant under this Act shall submit to the Sec-
4
retary a final report containing such information as the
5
Secretary may require.
6
Æ
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