[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4985 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4985
To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to
establish a program enabling communities to better leverage resources
to address health, economic development, and conservation concerns
through needed investments in parks, recreational areas, facilities,
and programs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 15, 2025
Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Ms.
Norton, and Mrs. McIver) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the
Committee on Natural Resources, 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 Housing and Urban Development to
establish a program enabling communities to better leverage resources
to address health, economic development, and conservation concerns
through needed investments in parks, recreational areas, facilities,
and programs, 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 AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Community Parks
Revitalization Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
TITLE I--COMMUNITY PARKS REVITALIZATION PROGRAM
Sec. 101. Purposes.
Sec. 102. Community parks revitalization program.
Sec. 103. Requirements for rehabilitation and construction grants.
Sec. 104. Requirements for innovation and recreation program grants.
Sec. 105. Local commitments to system recovery and maintenance.
Sec. 106. Matching of State amounts, State action incentive.
Sec. 107. Conversion of recreation property.
Sec. 108. Coordination of program.
Sec. 109. Reports; recordkeeping; audit and examination.
Sec. 110. Reports to Congress.
Sec. 111. Definitions.
Sec. 112. Regulations.
Sec. 113. Authorization of appropriations.
TITLE II--SECURED LOANS AND LOAN GUARANTEES FOR PARKS AND RECREATION
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
Sec. 201. Purposes.
Sec. 202. Authority to provide assistance.
Sec. 203. Eligible entities.
Sec. 204. Projects eligible for assistance.
Sec. 205. Activities eligible for assistance.
Sec. 206. Applications.
Sec. 207. Determination of eligibility and project selection.
Sec. 208. Secured loans and loan guarantees.
Sec. 209. Program administration.
Sec. 210. State and local permits.
Sec. 211. Definitions.
Sec. 212. Regulations.
Sec. 213. Funding.
Sec. 214. Report to Congress.
TITLE I--COMMUNITY PARKS REVITALIZATION PROGRAM
SEC. 101. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this title are--
(1) to authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development to establish a program enabling communities to
better leverage resources to address health, economic
development, and conservation concerns through needed
investments in parks, recreational areas, facilities, and
programs;
(2) to improve and revitalize urban areas through economic
development;
(3) to prevent and improve chronic disease outcomes,
including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and
obesity;
(4) to improve recreational areas and facilities and expand
recreation services in urban areas with a high incidence of
crime and help expand recreation opportunities for at-risk
youth;
(5) to promote collaboration between local agencies
involved in parks and recreation, law enforcement, youth social
services, and juvenile justice system;
(6) to ensure accessibility to therapeutic recreation
services and to provide recreation opportunities for injured or
disabled members of the Armed Forces; and
(7) to encourage the use of environmentally responsible
components and sustainable landscape features, and promote cost
effective solutions to issues such as storm water management,
water conservation, and air quality.
SEC. 102. COMMUNITY PARKS REVITALIZATION PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
shall carry out a community parks revitalization program under this
title under which the Secretary shall, from amounts appropriated
pursuant to section 114, award the following grants on a competitive
basis:
(1) Rehabilitation and construction grants.--The Secretary
shall make rehabilitation and construction capital grants in
accordance with the criteria established pursuant to section
104(a) to eligible local governments for the purpose of--
(A) rebuilding, remodeling, expanding, integrating,
or developing existing or building new recreational
areas and facilities, including improvements in park
landscapes, infrastructure, buildings, and support
facilities; and
(B) the provision of lighting, emergency phones, or
other capital improvements to improve the security of
urban parks, but not including routine maintenance and
upkeep activities.
(2) Innovation and recreation program grants.--The
Secretary shall make innovation and recreation program grants
in accordance with the criteria established pursuant to section
105(a) to eligible local governments to cover costs of
personnel, facilities, equipment, supplies, or services
designed to demonstrate innovative and cost effective ways to
augment park and recreation opportunities, or support new or
existing programs, that increase access to recreation
opportunities for returning veterans and active duty military
and their families or provide constructive alternatives for
youth at risk for engaging in criminal behavior.
(3) Recovery action program grants.--The Secretary shall
make recovery action program grants to eligible local
governments for planning and development of local park and
recreation recovery action programs required under section 106,
including for resource and needs assessment, coordination,
citizen involvement and planning, and program development
activities to encourage public definition of goals and develop
priorities and strategies for overall recreation system
recovery.
(b) Eligibility.--
(1) In general.--For the purposes of this title, any local
government located within a standard metropolitan statistical
area, as determined in accordance with the most recent
decennial Census, shall be eligible to apply for and receive
grant awards pursuant to subsection (a).
(2) Partial eligibility waiver.--
(A) Designation.--The Secretary may designate local
governments not located within standard metropolitan
statistical areas, as determined in accordance with the
most recent decennial Census, as eligible to receive
grant awards pursuant to subsection (a).
(B) Limitation on amounts.--The aggregate amount of
grants made to eligible local governments that receive
such status pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this
paragraph shall not exceed 15 percent of the total
amounts appropriated pursuant to this title for all
grants under subsection (a).
(c) Matching Requirement.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall ensure that each
eligible local government that receives a grant pursuant to
subsection (a) shall supplement, in accordance with this
subsection, the amount received under such grant with an amount
that is not less than \3/7\ of such grant amount; except that,
in the case of grants under subsection (a)(3), the Secretary
shall ensure that each eligible local government shall
supplement the amount received under such grant with amount
that is not less than such grant amount.
(2) Use.--Supplemental amounts made available in accordance
with paragraph (1) shall be used only for projects and
activities for which grant amounts are eligible to be used.
(3) Sources for supplemental funds.--
(A) Limitation on federal funds.--Supplemental
funds required by paragraph (1) may not include any
amounts made available from a Federal grant program,
other than--
(i) the community development block grant
program under title I of the Housing and
Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C.
5301 et seq.);
(ii) any Federal program for general
revenue sharing with local governments; or
(iii) any Federal program that provides
block grants to States and localities to
develop, promote, implement, and manage energy
efficiency and conservation projects and
programs designed to reduce fossil fuel
emissions, reduce energy use, improve energy
efficiency, and create and retain jobs.
(B) State and private amounts.--The Secretary may
require that a portion of the supplemental funds
required by paragraph (1) come from the State or
private sources.
(C) Non-federal funds.--Supplemental funds required
by paragraph (1) may include--
(i) general or specific purpose State or
local revenues;
(ii) State categorical grants;
(iii) special appropriations under State
law;
(iv) donations of land, building, or
building materials;
(v) in-kind construction, technical, and
planning services; and
(vi) any combination of funds described in
this subparagraph.
(D) Exception.--The Secretary shall waive the
supplemental funds requirement under subparagraph (A)
if--
(i) the eligible local government is
located in a rural area, as determined by the
Secretary; or
(ii) the eligible local government has
demonstrated economic hardship, as determined
by the Secretary.
(d) Transfer.--At the discretion of an eligible local government
receiving a rehabilitation and construction grant under subsection
(a)(1) or an innovation and recreation program grant under subsection
(a)(2), and if consistent with the approved application for such grant,
the grant may be transferred in whole or in part to private nonprofit
agencies, provided that assisted recreational areas and facilities
owned or managed by such private nonprofit agencies offer recreation
opportunities to the general population within the jurisdictional
boundaries of the local government.
(e) Payments.--Grant payments may be made only for rehabilitation
and construction or innovation and recreation projects and programs
approved by the Secretary. In the case of rehabilitation and
construction and innovation projects, such payments may be made
periodically consistent with the rate of progress toward the
satisfactory completion of a project, except that the Secretary may,
when appropriate, make advance payments on approved rehabilitation and
construction and innovation projects in an amount not to exceed 20
percent of the total project cost.
(f) Modification of Project.--The Secretary may authorize
modification of an approved rehabilitation and construction or
innovation project only when a grantee has adequately demonstrated that
such modification is necessary because of circumstances not foreseeable
at the time such project was proposed.
SEC. 103. REQUIREMENTS FOR REHABILITATION AND CONSTRUCTION GRANTS.
(a) Priority Criteria.--The Secretary shall establish priority
criteria for the selection and approval of projects to be funded by a
rehabilitation and construction grant made pursuant to section
103(a)(1), which shall include whether and the extent to which the
project would--
(1) serve a community with a high population density;
(2) address demonstrated deficiencies in the condition of
existing recreational areas and facilities in the project
neighborhood;
(3) address demonstrated deficiencies in access to
neighborhood recreation opportunities, particularly for
minority and low- and moderate-income residents, veterans or
active duty military families, and residents with physical or
mental disabilities;
(4) serve a community with a higher than average number of
unemployed people as a percentage of the civilian labor force
of the project neighborhood;
(5) include public participation in determining
rehabilitation or development needs and the extent to which a
project supports or complements target activities undertaken as
part of a local government's overall community development and
urban revitalization program;
(6) provide employment opportunities for minorities, youth,
and low- and moderate-income residents in the project
neighborhood;
(7) provide for participation of neighborhood, nonprofit,
or tenant organizations in the proposed rehabilitation and
construction activity or in subsequent maintenance, staffing,
or supervision of recreational areas and facilities;
(8) demonstrate State, local, and private support for the
project, as evidenced by commitments of non-Federal resources
to project construction or operation;
(9) build recreational areas and facilities in areas that
are located within one-half of a mile of public housing or a
school and do not currently have indoor or outdoor facilities;
(10) create, maintain, or revitalize playgrounds or active
play areas for children;
(11) connect children to the outdoors for physical activity
and access to nature;
(12) promote physical activity for individuals and the
community at large;
(13) work collaboratively with local governments, colleges,
and universities, and other institutions to track the
longitudinal rates of chronic diseases in the community such as
cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity;
(14) use environmentally beneficial components such as
sustainable landscape features and upcycled and recycled
materials;
(15) provide environmental benefits to urban areas, by
including--
(A) updating lighting;
(B) planting trees;
(C) increasing the urban forestry canopy;
(D) improving stormwater management;
(E) increasing green infrastructure;
(F) employing water conservation measures; or
(G) adding green spaces;
(16) connect to public transportation;
(17) apply the LEED Green Building Guidelines of the U.S.
Green Building Council or other sustainability benchmarks that
incorporate energy efficiency components, such as energy
efficient lighting and heating ventilation and air conditioning
(HVAC) systems and apply the SITES sustainable landscape
guidelines of the Sustainable Sites Initiative;
(18) contain safe trails or routes, such as trails,
bikeways, and sidewalks that connect to neighborhoods and
enhance access to parks and recreational areas and facilities;
and
(19) update existing equipment or facilities or construct
new facilities or sites, to comply with the most recent
accessibility guidelines published by the United States Access
Board, specifically by removing architectural barriers so that
sites comply or exceed the requirements of the final guidelines
for the accessibility of recreational areas and facilities.
(b) Limitation on Use of Funds.--Not more than 10 percent of any
amounts made available pursuant to section 114 for rehabilitation and
construction grants under section 103(a)(1) in any fiscal year may be
used for the acquisition of lands or interests in land.
SEC. 104. REQUIREMENTS FOR INNOVATION AND RECREATION PROGRAM GRANTS.
(a) Priority Criteria.--The Secretary shall establish priority
criteria for the selection and approval of projects and programs to be
funded by an innovation and recreation program grant made pursuant to
section 103(a)(2), including whether and the extent to which the
project or program--
(1) promotes the unique integration of recreation with
other community services, such as transportation, public
housing and public safety, either to expand or update current
services or to link programs within the social service
structure of a neighborhood or between neighborhoods;
(2) utilizes new management and cost-saving or service-
efficient approaches for improving the delivery of recreation
services;
(3) serves communities with a high population of active
military families or veterans;
(4) ensures accessibility to therapeutic recreation
services and provides recreation opportunities for injured or
disabled members of the Armed Forces;
(5) employs veterans or youth, or uses youth volunteers;
(6) enhances or expands youth development in neighborhoods
and communities by engaging youth in environmental stewardship,
conservation, and service projects;
(7) targets youth that are at the greatest risk of becoming
involved in violence and crime;
(8) demonstrates past success in providing constructive
alternatives to youth at risk for engaging in criminal
behavior;
(9) demonstrates collaboration between local park and
recreation, juvenile justice, law enforcement, and youth social
service agencies and nongovernmental entities, including
private, non