I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3353 

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

that connect Americans, especially children, youth, and families, with 

the outdoors. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 3, 2011 

Mr. KIND introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and 

Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to carry out programs and activities that connect Americans, 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 2011’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 


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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, during 

9 the 20-year period between 1991 and 2011, the 

10 childhood obesity rate has more than doubled and 

11 the adolescent obesity rate has tripled, costing the 

12 economy of the United States billions of dollars each 

13 year. 

14 (3) Our military readiness is declining as nearly 

15 1 in 4 applicants to the military is rejected for being 

16 overweight or obese, which is the most common rea17 son for medical disqualification. 

18 (4) Research has shown that military children 

19 and families are facing increased stress and mental 

20 strain and challenges due to multiple, extended de21 ployments. Military family service organizations have 

22 developed programs that connect military children 

23 and families with positive, meaningful outdoor expe24 riences that benefit mental and physical health, but 


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1 they lack sufficient resources to meet increasing de2 mand. 

3 (5) In addition to the negative economic impact 

4 of childhood obesity, the outdoor retail industry, 

5 many local tourist destinations or ‘‘gateway commu6 nities’’, and State fish and wildlife agencies rely on 

7 revenue generated when individuals spend time out8 doors to create jobs in local communities. 

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

10 changing land use patterns, increasing road traffic, 

11 and inadequate solutions to addressing these chal12 lenges in the built environment have combined to 

13 make it more difficult for many Americans to walk 

14 or bike to schools, parks, and play areas or experi15 ence the natural environment in general. 

16 (7) Visitation to our Nation’s public lands has 

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

18 connecting with nature and the great outdoors in 

19 our communities is critical to fostering the next gen20 eration of outdoor enthusiasts who will visit, appre21 ciate, and become stewards of our Nation’s public 

22 lands. 

23 (8) It takes many dedicated men and women to 

24 work to preserve, protect, enhance, and restore 

25 America’s natural resources, and with an aging 


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1 workforce in the natural resource professions, it is 

2 critical for the next generation to have an apprecia3 tion for nature and be ready to take over these re4 sponsibilities. 

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. 

17 (11) Spending time in green spaces outside the 

18 home, including parks, play areas, and garden, can 

19 increase concentration, inhibition of initial impulses, 

20 and self-discipline and has been shown to reduce 

21 stress and mental fatigue. In one study, children 

22 who were exposed to greener environments in a pub23 lic housing area demonstrated less aggression, vio24 lence, and stress. 


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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) Conservation education and outdoor recre5 ation experiences such as camping, hiking, boating, 

6 hunting, fishing, archery, recreational shooting, wild7 life watching, and others are critical to engaging 

8 young people in the outdoors. 

9 (14) Hunters and anglers play a critical role in 

10 reconnecting young people with nature, protecting 

11 our natural resources, and fostering a lifelong un12 derstanding of the value of conserving the natural 

13 world. 

14 (15) Research demonstrates that hunters who 

15 become engaged in hunting as children are among 

16 the most active and interested hunters as adults. 

17 The vast majority of hunters report they were intro18 duced to hunting between the ages of 10 and 12, 

19 and the overwhelming majority of children are intro20 duced to hunting by an adult. 

21 (16) A direct childhood experience with nature 

22 before the age of 11 promotes a long-term connec23 tion to nature. 

24 (17) Parks and recreation, youth-serving, serv25 ice-learning, conservation, health, education, and 


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1 built-environment organizations, facilities, and per2 sonnel provide critical resources and infrastructure 

3 for connecting children and families with nature. 

4 (18) Place-based service-learning opportunities 

5 use our lands and waters as the context for learning 

6 by engaging students in the process of exploration, 

7 action, and reflection. Physical activity outdoors con8 nected with meaningful community service to solve 

9 real-world problems, such as removing invasive 

10 plants or removing trash from a streambed, 

11 strengthens communities by engaging youth as cit12 izen stewards. 

13 (19) States nationwide and their community 

14 based partners have some notable programs that 

15 connect children and families with nature; however, 

16 most States lack sufficient resources and a com17 prehensive strategy to effectively engage State agen18 cies across multiple fields. 

19 (20) States need to engage in cross-sector agen20 cy and nonprofit collaboration that involves public 

21 health and wellness, parks and recreation, transpor22 tation and city planning, and other sectors focused 

23 on connecting children and families with the out24 doors to increase coordination and effective imple25 mentation of the policy tools and programs that a 


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1 State can bring to bear to provide healthy outdoor 

2 opportunities 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 03:14 Nov 09, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3353.IH H3353

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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 Americans, especially 

12 children, youth, and families, to be physically active out13 doors. 

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 


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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 Americans, especially children, youth, and 

18 families, to be physically active in the outdoors 

19 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 


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1 (D) other public systems that connect 

2 Americans, especially children, youth, and fami3 lies, 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 


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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 

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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 Americans, espe12 cially children, youth, and families. 

13 (e) PRIORITY.—In making cooperative agreements 

14 under subsection (a) and subgrants under subsection 

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

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

17 individuals who have limited opportunities to experience 

18 nature, including those who are socioeconomically dis19 advantaged or have a disability or suffer disproportion20 ately from physical and mental health stressors. 

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

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

23 opportunity for public comment, the Secretary shall pub24 lish in the Federal Register guidelines on the implementa25 tion of this Act, including guidelines for— 


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1 (1) developing and submitting strategies and 

2 evaluation methods under subsection (b); and 

3 (2) technical assistance and dissemination of 

4 best practices under section 7. 

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

6 Secretary approves the Healthy Kids Outdoors State 

7 Strategy of an eligible entity receiving funds under this 

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

9 submit to the Secretary a report on the implementation 

10 of the strategy based on the entity’s evaluation and assess11 ment of meeting the goals specified in the strategy. 

12 (h) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity re13 ceiving funding under subsection (a) for a fiscal year— 

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

15 funding for administrative expenses; and 

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

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

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

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

20 percent match through in-kind contributions or cash. 

21 SEC. 5. NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR ENCOURAGING AMERI22 CANS TO BE ACTIVE OUTDOORS. 

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

24 2012, the President, in cooperation with appropriate Fed25 eral departments and agencies, shall develop and issue a 


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1 national strategy for encouraging Americans, especially 

2 children, youth, and families, to be physically active out3 doors. Such a strategy shall include— 

4 (1) identification of barriers to Americans, es5 pecially children, youth, and families, spending 

6 healthy time outdoors and specific policy solutions to 

7 address those barriers; 

8 (2) identification of opportunities for partner9 ships with Federal, State, tribal, and local partners; 

10 (3) coordination of efforts among Federal de11 partments and agencies to address the impacts of 

12 Americans, especially children, youth, and families, 

13 spending less active time outdoors on— 

14 (A) public health, including childhood obe15 sity, attention deficit disorders and stress; 

16 (B) the future of conservation in the 

17 United States; and 

18 (C) the economy; 

19 (4) identification of ongoing research needs to 

20 document the health, conservation, economic, and 

21 other outcomes of implementing the national strat22 egy and State strategies; 

23 (5) coordination and alignment with Healthy 

24 Kids Outdoors State Strategies; and 


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1 (6) an action plan for implementing the strat2 egy at the Federal level. 

3 (b) STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT.— 

4 (1) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.—Throughout the 

5 process of developing the national strategy under 

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

7 or otherwise consider existing Federal plans and 

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

9 connecting Americans, especially children, youth, 

10 and families, with the outdoors and shall provide for 

11 public participation, including a national summit of 

12 participants with demonstrated expertise in encour13 aging individuals to be physically active outdoors in 

14 nature. 

15 (2) UPDATING THE NATIONAL STRATEGY.—The 

16 President shall update the national strategy not less 

17 than 5 years after the date the first national strat18 egy is issued under subsection (a), and every 5 years 

19 thereafter. In updating the strategy, the President 

20 shall incorporate results of the evaluation under sec21 tion 6. 

22 SEC. 6. NATIONAL EVALUATION OF HEALTH IMPACTS. 

23 The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of 

24 Health and Human Services, shall— 


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1 (1) develop recommendations for appropriate 

2 evaluation measures and criteria for a study of na3 tional significance on the health impacts of the 

4 strategies under this Act; and 

5 (2) carry out such a study. 

6 SEC. 7. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND BEST PRACTICES. 

7 The Secretary shall— 

8 (1) provide technical assistance to grantees 

9 under section 4 through cooperative agreements with 

10 national organizations with a proven track record of 

11 encouraging Americans, especially children, youth, 

12 and families, to be physically active outdoors; and 

13 (2) disseminate best practices that emerge from 

14 strategies funded under this Act. 

15 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro17 priated to the Secretary to carry out this Act— 

18 (1) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2013; 

19 (2) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; 

20 (3) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; 

21 (4) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2016; and 

22 (5) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2017. 

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

24 carry out this Act for a fiscal year, not more than 5 per25 cent may be made available for carrying out section 7. 


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

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

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

4 available for activities that encourage Americans, espe5 cially children, youth, and families to be physically active 

6 outdoors. 

Æ 


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