II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2367 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to carry out programs and activities 

that connect the people of the United States, especially children, youth, 

and families, with the outdoors. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 21, 2014 

Mr. UDALL of Colorado (for himself, Mr. BENNET, and Mrs. GILLIBRAND) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to carry out programs and activities that connect the people of the 

United States, especially children, youth, and families, 

with the outdoors. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Healthy Kids Outdoors 

5 Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 2367 IS

1 (1) Children today are spending less time out2 doors than any generation in human history, as evi3 denced by studies that show children enjoy half as 

4 much time outdoors today as they did just 20 years 

ago, while spending more than 71 5 ⁄2 hours every day 

6 in front of electronic media. 

7 (2) The health of our children is at risk as evi8 denced by the growing obesity crisis where, in the 

9 past 30 years, childhood obesity has more than dou10 bled in children and quadrupled in adolescents, cost11 ing the economy of the United States billions of dol12 lars each year. 

13 (3) Our military readiness is declining as nearly 

14 1 in 4 applicants to the military is rejected for being 

15 overweight or obese, which is the most common rea16 son for medical disqualification. 

17 (4) Research has shown that military children 

18 and families are facing increased stress and mental 

19 strain and challenges due to multiple, extended de20 ployments. Military family service organizations have 

21 developed programs that connect military children 

22 and families with positive, meaningful outdoor expe23 riences that benefit mental and physical health, but 

24 they lack sufficient resources to meet increasing de25 mand. 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 2367 IS

1 (5) In addition to the negative economic impact 

2 of childhood obesity, the outdoor retail industry, 

3 many local tourist destinations or ‘‘gateway commu4 nities’’, and State fish and wildlife agencies rely on 

5 revenue generated when individuals spend time out6 doors to create jobs in local communities. 

7 (6) Over the past several years, urbanization, 

8 changing land use patterns, increasing road traffic, 

9 and inadequate solutions to addressing these chal10 lenges in the built environment have combined to 

11 make it more difficult for many people of the United 

12 States to walk or bike to schools, parks, and play 

13 areas or experience the natural environment in gen14 eral. 

15 (7) Spending time in green spaces outside the 

16 home, including public lands, parks, play areas, and 

17 gardens, can increase concentration, inhibition of 

18 initial impulses, and self-discipline and has been 

19 shown to reduce stress and mental fatigue. In one 

20 study, children who were exposed to greener environ21 ments in a public housing area demonstrated less 

22 aggression, violence, and stress. 

23 (8) Visitation to our Nation’s public lands has 

24 declined or remained flat in recent years, and yet, 

25 connecting with nature and the great outdoors in 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 2367 IS

1 our communities is critical to fostering the next gen2 eration of outdoor enthusiasts who will visit, appre3 ciate, and become stewards of our Nation’s public 

4 lands. 

5 (9) Spending time outdoors in nature is bene6 ficial to our children’s physical, mental, and emo7 tional health and has been proven to decrease symp8 toms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, 

9 stimulate brain development, improve motor skills, 

10 result in better sleep, reduce stress, increase cre11 ativity, improve mood, and reduce children’s risk of 

12 developing myopia. 

13 (10) Children who spend time playing outside 

14 are more likely to take risks, seek out adventure, de15 velop self-confidence, and respect the value of na16 ture. A direct childhood experience with nature be17 fore the age of 11 promotes a long-term connection 

18 to nature. 

19 (11) Conservation education and outdoor recre20 ation experiences such as camping, hiking, boating, 

21 hunting, fishing, archery, recreational shooting, wild22 life watching, and others are critical to engaging 

23 young people in the outdoors. 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 2367 IS

1 (12) As children become more disconnected 

2 from the natural world, the hunting and angling 

3 conservation legacy of America is at risk. 

4 (13) Hunters and anglers play a critical role in 

5 reconnecting young people with nature, protecting 

6 our natural resources, and fostering a lifelong un7 derstanding of the value of conserving the natural 

8 world. 

9 (14) Research demonstrates that hunters who 

10 become engaged in hunting as children are among 

11 the most active and interested hunters as adults. 

12 The vast majority of hunters report they were intro13 duced to hunting between the ages of 10 and 12, 

14 and the overwhelming majority of children are intro15 duced to hunting by an adult. 

16 (15) Parks and recreation, youth-serving, serv17 ice-learning, conservation, health, education, and 

18 built-environment organizations, facilities, and per19 sonnel provide critical resources and infrastructure 

20 for connecting children and families with nature. 

21 (16) It takes many dedicated men and women 

22 to work to preserve, protect, enhance, and restore 

23 America’s natural resources, and with an aging 

24 workforce in the natural resource professions, it is 

25 critical for the next generation to have an appreciaVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:39 May 28, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2367.IS S2367

tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 2367 IS

1 tion for nature and be ready to take over these re2 sponsibilities. 

3 (17) Place-based service-learning opportunities 

4 use our lands and waters as the context for learning 

5 by engaging students in the process of exploration, 

6 action, and reflection. Physical activity outdoors con7 nected with meaningful community service to solve 

8 real-world problems, such as removing invasive 

9 plants or removing trash from a streambed, 

10 strengthens communities by engaging youth as cit11 izen stewards. 

12 (18) States nationwide and their community13 based partners have some notable programs that 

14 connect children and families with nature; however, 

15 most States lack sufficient resources and a com16 prehensive strategy to effectively engage State agen17 cies across multiple fields. 

18 (19) States need to engage in cross-sector agen19 cy and nonprofit collaboration that involves public 

20 health and wellness, parks and recreation, transpor21 tation and city planning, and other sectors focused 

22 on connecting children and families with the out23 doors to increase coordination and effective imple24 mentation of the policy tools and programs that a 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 2367 IS

1 State can bring to bear to provide outdoor opportu2 nities for children and families. 

3 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

5 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti6 ty’’ means— 

7 (A) a State; or 

8 (B) a consortium from one State that may 

9 include such State and municipalities, entities 

10 of local or tribal governments, parks and recre11 ation departments or districts, school districts, 

12 institutions of higher education, or nonprofit or13 ganizations. 

14 (2) LOCAL PARTNERS.—The term ‘‘local part15 ners’’ means a municipality, entity of local or tribal 

16 government, parks and recreation departments or 

17 districts, Indian tribe, school district, institution of 

18 higher education, nonprofit organization, or a con19 sortium of local partners. 

20 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

21 the Secretary of the Interior. 

22 (4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any of 

23 the several States, the District of Columbia, the 

24 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States 

25 Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the ComVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:39 May 28, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2367.IS S2367

tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 2367 IS

1 monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, any 

2 other territory or possession of the United States, or 

3 any Indian tribe. 

4 SEC. 4. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT 

5 OR IMPLEMENTATION OF HEALTHY KIDS 

6 OUTDOORS STATE STRATEGIES. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized to 

8 issue one cooperative agreement per State to eligible enti9 ties to develop, implement, and update a 5-year State 

10 strategy, to be known as a ‘‘Healthy Kids Outdoors State 

11 Strategy’’, designed to encourage the people of the United 

12 States, especially children, youth, and families, to be phys13 ically active outdoors. 

14 (b) SUBMISSION AND APPROVAL OF STRATEGIES.— 

15 (1) APPLICATIONS.—An application for a coop16 erative agreement under subsection (a) shall— 

17 (A) be submitted not later than 120 days 

18 after the Secretary publishes guidelines under 

19 subsection (f)(1); and 

20 (B) include a Healthy Kids Outdoors State 

21 Strategy meeting the requirements of sub22 section (c) or a proposal for development and 

23 submission of such a strategy. 

24 (2) APPROVAL OF STRATEGY; PEER REVIEW.— 

25 Not later than 90 days after submission of a 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
9 

•S 2367 IS

1 Healthy Kids Outdoors State Strategy, the Sec2 retary shall, through a peer review process, approve 

3 or recommend changes to the strategy. 

4 (3) STRATEGY UPDATE.—An eligible entity re5 ceiving funds under this section shall update its 

6 Healthy Kids Outdoors State Strategy at least once 

7 every 5 years. Continued funding under this section 

8 shall be contingent upon submission of such updated 

9 strategies and reports that document impact evalua10 tion methods consistent with the guidelines in sub11 section (f)(1) and lessons learned from implementing 

12 the strategy. 

13 (c) COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY REQUIREMENTS.— 

14 The Healthy Kids Outdoors State Strategy under sub15 section (a) shall include— 

16 (1) a description of how the eligible entity will 

17 encourage the people of the United States, especially 

18 children, youth, and families, to be physically active 

19 in the outdoors through State, local, and tribal— 

20 (A) public health systems; 

21 (B) public parks and recreation systems; 

22 (C) public transportation and city planning 

23 systems; and 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
10 

•S 2367 IS

1 (D) other public systems that connect the 

2 people of the United States, especially children, 

3 youth, and families, to the outdoors; 

4 (2) a description of how the eligible entity will 

5 partner with nongovernmental organizations, espe6 cially those that serve children, youth, and families, 

7 including those serving military families and tribal 

8 agencies; 

9 (3) a description of how State agencies will col10 laborate with each other to implement the strategy; 

11 (4) a description of how funding will be spent 

12 through local planning and implementation sub13 grants under subsection (d); 

14 (5) a description of how the eligible entity will 

15 evaluate the effectiveness of, and measure the im16 pact of, the strategy, including an estimate of the 

17 costs associated with such evaluation; 

18 (6) a description of how the eligible entity will 

19 provide opportunities for public involvement in devel20 oping and implementing the strategy; 

21 (7) a description of how the strategy will in22 crease visitation to Federal public lands within the 

23 State; and 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
11 

•S 2367 IS

1 (8) a description of how the eligible entity will 

2 leverage private funds to expand opportunities and 

3 further implement the strategy. 

4 (d) LOCAL PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—A Healthy Kids Outdoors 

6 State Strategy shall provide for subgrants by the co7 operative agreement recipient under subsection (a) 

8 to local partners to implement the strategy through 

9 one or more of the program activities described in 

10 paragraph (2). 

11 (2) PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.—Program activities 

12 may include— 

13 (A) implementing outdoor recreation and 

14 youth mentoring programs that provide oppor15 tunities to experience the outdoors, be phys16 ically active, and teach skills for lifelong partici17 pation in outdoor activities, including fishing, 

18 hunting, recreational shooting, archery, hiking, 

19 camping, outdoor play in natural environments, 

20 and wildlife watching; 

21 (B) implementing programs that connect 

22 communities with safe parks, green spaces, and 

23 outdoor recreation areas through affordable 

24 public transportation and trail systems that enVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:39 May 28, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2367.IS S2367

tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
12 

•S 2367 IS

1 courage walking, biking, and increased physical 

2 activity outdoors; 

3 (C) implementing school-based programs 

4 that use outdoor learning environments, such as 

5 wildlife habitats or gardens, and programs that 

6 use service learning to restore natural areas 

7 and maintain recreational assets; and 

8 (D) implementing education programs for 

9 parents and caregivers about the health benefits 

10 of active time outdoors to fight obesity and in11 crease the quality of life for the people of the 

12 United States, especially children, youth, and 

13 families. 

14 (e) PRIORITY.—In making cooperative agreements 

15 under subsection (a) and subgrants under subsection 

16 (d)(1), the Secretary and the recipient under subsection 

17 (a), respectively, shall give preference to entities that serve 

18 individuals who have limited opportunities to experience 

19 nature, including those who are socioeconomically dis20 advantaged or have a disability or suffer disproportion21 ately from physical and mental health stressors. 

22 (f) GUIDELINES.—Not later than 180 days after the 

23 date of the enactment of this Act, and after notice and 

24 opportunity for public comment, the Secretary shall pubVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:39 May 28, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2367.IS S2367

tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
13 

•S 2367 IS

1 lish in the Federal Register guidelines on the implementa2 tion of this Act, including guidelines for— 

3 (1) developing and submitting strategies and 

4 evaluation methods under subsection (b); and 

5 (2) technical assistance and dissemination of 

6 best practices under section 7. 

7 (g) REPORTING.—Not later than 2 years after the 

8 Secretary approves the Healthy Kids Outdoors State 

9 Strategy of an eligible entity receiving funds under this 

10 section, and every year thereafter, the eligible entity shall 

11 submit to the Secretary a report on the implementation 

12 of the strategy based on the entity’s evaluation and assess13 ment of meeting the goals specified in the strategy. 

14 (h) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity re15 ceiving funding under subsection (a) for a fiscal year— 

16 (1) may use not more than 5 percent of the 

17 funding for administrative expenses; and 

18 (2) shall use at least 95 percent of the funding 

19 for subgrants to local partners under subsection (d). 

20 (i) MATCH.—An eligible entity receiving funding 

21 under subsection (a) for a fiscal year shall provide a 25- 

22 percent match through in-kind contributions or cash. 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
14 

•S 2367 IS

1 SEC. 5. NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR ENCOURAGING THE PEO2 PLE OF THE UNITED STATES TO BE ACTIVE 

3 OUTDOORS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than September 30, 

5 2015, the President, in cooperation with appropriate Fed6 eral departments and agencies, shall develop and issue a 

7 national strategy for encouraging the people of the United 

8 States, especially children, youth, and families, to be phys9 ically active outdoors. Such a strategy shall include— 

10 (1) identification of barriers to the people of the 

11 United States, especially children, youth, and fami12 lies, spending healthy time outdoors and specific pol13 icy solutions to address those barriers; 

14 (2) identification of opportunities for partner15 ships with Federal, State, tribal, and local partners; 

16 (3) coordination of efforts among Federal de17 partments and agencies to address the impacts of 

18 the people of the United States, especially children, 

19 youth, and families, spending less active time out20 doors on— 

21 (A) public health, including childhood obe22 sity, attention deficit disorders and stress; 

23 (B) the future of conservation in the 

24 United States; and 

25 (C) the economy; 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
15 

•S 2367 IS

1 (4) identification of ongoing research needs to 

2 document the health, conservation, economic, and 

3 other outcomes of implementing the national strat4 egy and State strategies; 

5 (5) coordination and alignment with Healthy 

6 Kids Outdoors State Strategies; and 

7 (6) an action plan for implementing the strat8 egy at the Federal level. 

9 (b) STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT.— 

10 (1) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.—Throughout the 

11 process of developing the national strategy under 

12 subsection (a), the President may use, incorporate, 

13 or otherwise consider existing Federal plans and 

14 strategies that, in whole or in part, contribute to 

15 connecting the people of the United States, espe16 cially children, youth, and families, with the out17 doors and shall provide for public participation, in18 cluding a national summit of participants with dem19 onstrated expertise in encouraging individuals to be 

20 physically active outdoors in nature. 

21 (2) UPDATING THE NATIONAL STRATEGY.—The 

22 President shall update the national strategy not less 

23 than 5 years after the date the first national strat24 egy is issued under subsection (a), and every 5 years 

25 thereafter. In updating the strategy, the President 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
16 

•S 2367 IS

1 shall incorporate results of the evaluation under sec2 tion 6. 

3 SEC. 6. NATIONAL EVALUATION OF HEALTH IMPACTS. 

4 The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of 

5 Health and Human Services, shall— 

6 (1) develop recommendations for appropriate 

7 evaluation measures and criteria for a study of na8 tional significance on the health impacts of the 

9 strategies under this Act; and 

10 (2) carry out such a study. 

11 SEC. 7. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND BEST PRACTICES. 

12 The Secretary shall— 

13 (1) provide technical assistance to grantees 

14 under section 4 through cooperative agreements with 

15 national organizations with a proven track record of 

16 encouraging the people of the United States, espe17 cially children, youth, and families, to be physically 

18 active outdoors; and 

19 (2) disseminate best practices that emerge from 

20 strategies funded under this Act. 

21 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro23 priated to the Secretary to carry out this Act— 

24 (1) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; 

25 (2) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2016; and 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
17 

•S 2367 IS

1 (3) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2017. 

2 (b) LIMITATION.—Of the amounts made available to 

3 carry out this Act for a fiscal year, not more than 5 per4 cent may be made available for carrying out section 7. 

5 (c) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Funds made 

6 available under this Act shall be used to supplement, and 

7 not supplant, any other Federal, State, or local funds 

8 available for activities that encourage the people of the 

9 United States, especially children, youth, and families to 

10 be physically active outdoors. 

Æ 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS