Outdoors for All Act

Subjects: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:  <p><b>Outdoors for All Act</b> </p> <p>This bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish an outdoor recreation legacy partnership grant program under which Interior may award grants to states, certain political subdivisions of a state, special purpose districts, Indian tribes, or Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian communities or organizations. </p> <p>Funds must be used for projects to (1) acquire land and water for parks and other outdoor recreation purposes in qualifying areas, and (2) develop new or renovate existing outdoor recreation facilities that provide outdoor recreation opportunities to the public in qualifying areas.</p> <p><em>Qualifying area</em> means</p> <ul> <li>an urbanized area or urban cluster that has a population of 25,000 or more in the most recent census,</li> <li>two or more adjacent urban clusters with a combined population of 25,000 or more in the most recent census, or </li> <li>an area that is administered by an Indian tribe or an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian community organization.</li> </ul> <p>Interior shall give priority to projects that </p> <ul> <li>create or significantly enhance access to park and recreational opportunities in an urban neighborhood or community,</li> <li>engage and empower underserved communities and youth,</li> <li>provide opportunities for employment or job training for youth or underserved communities,</li> <li>establish or expand public-private partnerships, and</li> <li>take advantage of coordination among various levels of government.</li> </ul>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 448 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






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. Markey, Ms. 
 Warren, Mr. Peters, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. 
Wyden, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Casey, and Mr. Lujan) 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 Partnership Program of 
           the National Park Service, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Outdoors for All Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means an 
        entity that represents or otherwise serves a qualifying area.
            (2) Eligible nonprofit organization.--The term ``eligible 
        nonprofit organization'' means an organization that is 
        described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
        1986 and is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such 
        code.
            (3) Entity.--The term ``entity'' means--
                    (A) a State;
                    (B) a political subdivision of a State, including--
                            (i) a city;
                            (ii) a county; and
                            (iii) a special purpose district that 
                        manages open space, including a park district; 
                        and
                    (C) an Indian Tribe, urban Indian organization, or 
                Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian community or 
                organization.
            (4) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            (5) Low-income community.--The term ``low-income 
        community'' means any census block group in which 30 percent or 
        more of the population are individuals with an annual household 
        equal to, or less than, the greater of--
                    (A) an amount equal to 80 percent of the median 
                income of the area in which the household is located, 
                as reported by the Department of Housing and Urban 
                Development; and
                    (B) an amount equal to 200 percent of the Federal 
                poverty line.
            (6) Outdoor recreation legacy partnership program.--The 
        term ``Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program'' means 
        the program established under section 3(a).
            (7) Qualifying area.--The term ``qualifying area'' means--
                    (A) an urbanized area or urban cluster that has a 
                population of 25,000 or more in the most recent census;
                    (B) 2 or more adjacent urban clusters with a 
                combined population of 25,000 or more in the most 
                recent census; or
                    (C) an area administered by an Indian Tribe or an 
                Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian community 
                organization.
            (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (9) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, and each territory of the 
        United States.

SEC. 3. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.

    (a) Establishment of Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish an outdoor 
        recreation legacy partnership program under which the Secretary 
        may award grants to eligible entities for projects--
                    (A) to acquire land and water for parks and other 
                outdoor recreation purposes in qualifying areas; and
                    (B) to develop new or renovate existing outdoor 
                recreation facilities that provide outdoor recreation 
                opportunities to the public in qualifying areas.
            (2) Priority.--In awarding grants to eligible entities 
        under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to 
        projects that--
                    (A) create or significantly enhance access to park 
                and recreational opportunities in an urban neighborhood 
                or community;
                    (B) engage and empower underserved communities and 
                youth;
                    (C) provide employment or job training 
                opportunities for youth or underserved communities;
                    (D) establish or expand public-private 
                partnerships, with a focus on leveraging resources; and
                    (E) take advantage of coordination among various 
                levels of government.
    (b) Matching Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--As a condition of receiving a grant under 
        subsection (a), an eligible entity shall provide matching funds 
        in the form of cash or an in-kind contribution in an amount 
        equal to not less than 100 percent of the amounts made 
        available under the grant.
            (2) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive all or part of the 
        matching requirement under paragraph (1) if the Secretary 
        determines that--
                    (A) no reasonable means are available through which 
                the eligible entity can meet the matching requirement; 
                and
                    (B) the probable benefit of the project outweighs 
                the public interest in the matching requirement.
            (3) Administrative expenses.--Not more than 10 percent of 
        funds provided to an eligible entity under a grant awarded 
        under subsection (a) may be used for administrative expenses.
    (c) Considerations.--In awarding grants to eligible entities under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall consider the extent to which a 
project would--
            (1) provide recreation opportunities in underserved 
        communities in which access to parks is not adequate to meet 
        local needs;
            (2) provide opportunities for outdoor recreation and public 
        land volunteerism;
            (3) support innovative or cost-effective ways to enhance 
        parks and other recreation--
                    (A) opportunities; or
                    (B) delivery of services;
            (4) support park and recreation programming provided by 
        cities, including cooperative agreements with community-based 
        eligible nonprofit organizations;
            (5) develop Native American event sites and cultural 
        gathering spaces; and
            (6) provide benefits such as community resilience, 
        reduction of urban heat islands, enhanced water or air quality, 
        or habitat for fish or wildlife.
    (d) Eligible Uses.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), a grant 
        recipient may use a grant awarded under subsection (a) for a 
        project described in paragraph (1) or (2) of that subsection.
            (2) Limitations on use.--A grant recipient may not use 
        grant funds for--
                    (A) incidental costs related to land acquisition, 
                including appraisal and titling;
                    (B) operation and maintenance activities;
                    (C) facilities that support semiprofessional or 
                professional athletics;
                    (D) indoor facilities, such as recreation centers 
                or facilities that support primarily non-outdoor 
                purposes; or
                    (E) acquisition of land or interests in land that 
                restrict access to specific persons.

SEC. 4. REVIEW AND EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS.

    In carrying out the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, 
the Secretary shall--
            (1) conduct an initial screening and technical review of 
        applications received;
            (2) evaluate and score all qualifying applications; and
            (3) provide culturally and linguistically appropriate 
        information to eligible entities (including low-income 
        communities and eligible entities serving low-income 
        communities) on--
                    (A) the opportunity to apply for grants under this 
                Act;
                    (B) the application procedures by which eligible 
                entities may apply for grants under this Act; and
                    (C) eligible uses for grants under this Act.

SEC. 5. REPORTING.

    (a) Annual Reports.--Not later than 30 days after the last day of 
each report period, each State lead agency that receives a grant under 
this Act shall annually submit to the Secretary performance and 
financial reports that--
            (1) summarize project activities conducted during the 
        report period; and
            (2) provide the status of the project.
    (b) Final Reports.--Not later than 90 days after the earlier of the 
date of expiration of a project period or the completion of a project, 
each State lead agency that receives a grant under this Act shall 
submit to the Secretary a final report containing such information as 
the Secretary may require.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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