March 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 30

ADVOCACY

tween school districts and parks as well
as other community-based organizations.
Healthy Kids Outdoors Act
(HKOA): This legislation is expected
to be reintroduced in 2014. It provides
funding to states for the development of
comprehensive state strategies related
to expanding environmental education
through the school system and finding
other means of getting kids and families
more physically active in the outdoors.

zation Act (S.1562): NRPA supports
legislation introduced by Sen. Bernie
Sanders (I-VT) to reauthorize the Older Americans Act, which addresses the
health, welfare and economic needs of
older individuals by promoting senior
center modernizations as well as evidence-based chronic disease management and falls prevention.
Personal Health Investment Today
(PHIT) Act (H.R. 956): Introduced by
Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), this bill would

Successful advocacy is an ongoing process...our hope
is that what you learn in preparation of your day on
Capitol Hill will serve you and your community long
after you leave D.C.
Health and Wellness
Health and Human Services Appropriations: NRPA supports funding
for prevention programs at the Centers for Disease Control that create
substantial and sustainable community-level programs that prevent and
control obesity and other chronic diseases through active living, healthy
eating, tobacco-free living, and clinical and community preventive services. These grant programs support
state and local government entities
such as park and recreation agencies.
Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
Reauthorization: Did you know that
park and recreation agencies are the
largest provider of healthy meals and
snacks to children outside of schools?
The Summer Food Service Program
and Child and Adult Care Food Program, managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provide free
meals to low-income children while
school is out of session and will be up
for renewal in FY 2015.
Older Americans Act Reauthori-

Parks & Recreation

expand the IRS definition of medical
expenditures to include physical activity as preventative medicine. This would
allow individuals to use the pretax dollars in Flexible Spending Accounts and
Health Savings Accounts to include expenditures such as memberships at recreation or fitness facilities, youth and adult
sports league fees, exercise classes, youth
camps, organized running event registration fees and other physical activities.
Social Equity
Community Parks and Revitalization
(CPR) Act (H.R. 2424): Sponsored by
Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ), this legislation
would provide matching federal grants
for park and recreation infrastructure
in metropolitan areas. Specifically, it
will authorize the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development to
provide funding to local park and recreation agencies through three grant
programs: Rehabilitation and Construction, Innovation and Recreation,
and Recovery Action. The bill also
includes innovative financing for park

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infrastructure (known as PIFIA).
Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Program (UPARR): NRPA
supports UPARR's inclusion in the
FY 2015 Interior Appropriations
package. However, funding for UPARR should not be done at the expense of (or " in lieu of " ) support for
LWCF State Assistance.
MAP-21 (P.L. 112-141): NRPA
supports dedicated funding for " Active Transportation " options, including trails and pedestrian projects as
part of the federal surface transportation act, currently known as " MAP21. " These programs, primarily the
Transportation Alternatives Program
(TAP) and the Recreational Trails
Program (RTP), provide approximately $800 million annually for bike
and pedestrian projects and to promote pedestrian and bicycling safety
in local communities. MAP-21 is due
to expire in September 2014.
The New Opportunities for Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure
Financing Act (H.R. 3978): Sponsored by Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ), this
bill would provide local communities
with low-cost loans to build networks
of sidewalks, bikes lanes and paths
as part of the federal transportation
financing program known as TIFIA.
Twenty-five percent of the loan financing for this program must be used
to help low-income communities.
Community Development Block
Grants (CDBG): NRPA continues
to support funding for CDBG, which
historically provides up to $100 million
annually for park and recreation infrastructure.
To learn how you can take action
and play your part in support of NRPA's Public Policy, visit www.nrpa.
org/advocacy.
David Tyahla is NRPA's Senior Government
Affairs Manager (dtyahla@nrpa.org).

March 2014 - Parks & Recreation

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