[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 941 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 941

Recognizing the importance of public park and recreation facilities and 
 activities and expressing support for the designation of the month of 
                 July as ``Park and Recreation Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 14, 2018

 Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania (for himself and Ms. Tsongas) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the importance of public park and recreation facilities and 
 activities and expressing support for the designation of the month of 
                 July as ``Park and Recreation Month''.

Whereas Federal, State, and local public parks and recreation systems are 
        dedicated to conservation efforts and to enhancing the quality of life 
        for all residents in communities around the United States;
Whereas public park and recreation facilities and activities--

    (1) provide opportunities for young people to live, grow, and develop 
into contributing members of society;

    (2) create lifelines and continuous life experience for older members 
of the community;

    (3) generate opportunities for people to come together and experience a 
sense of community;

    (4) pay dividends to communities by attracting businesses and jobs and 
by increasing housing value;

    (5) connect citizens to the outdoors, creating a respect and 
understanding of nature;

    (6) lower chronic disease risk by improving access to physical activity 
opportunities reducing stress and depression, and improving environmental 
conditions; and

    (7) bolster environmental and community resilience, allowing people and 
places to more quickly recover from natural disasters;

Whereas public park operations and capital spending in the United States 
        generate nearly $154,000,000,000 in economic activity each year and 
        support almost 1,100,000 jobs;
Whereas 90 percent of people in the United States agree that public park and 
        recreation facilities and activities are important government services, 
        a figure that displays a base of support that spans across all people in 
        the United States, regardless of race, income, gender, or political 
        party affiliation;
Whereas 74 percent of people in the United States agree that ensuring all 
        members of their community have equitable access to public park and 
        recreation facilities and activities is important;
Whereas the most economically sound communities are those with ample and healthy 
        public park and recreation facilities and activities;
Whereas a key factor in business expansion and location decisions is the quality 
        of life for employees, with a premium placed on adequate and accessible 
        public parks and open space;
Whereas public park and recreation facilities and activities play a vital role 
        in creating active and healthy communities, and people who use public 
        parks and open spaces are three times more likely to achieve the 
        recommended levels of physical activity than nonusers;
Whereas many parks provide green infrastructure that reduce the heat island 
        effect in urban areas and reduce storm water impacts by as much as 90 
        percent;
Whereas 84 percent of park agencies invest in sustainability activities and 
        practices for their environmental benefit;
Whereas public park and recreation facilities and activities foster a variety of 
        activities that contribute to a healthier United States, such as 
        providing injured military veterans and those with physical disabilities 
        opportunities for physical activity, encouraging communities to promote 
        outdoor activities in order to prevent and manage symptoms related to 
        chronic diseases, working with local school systems to develop science-
        based curricula to educate children on nutrition and activity, 
        connecting children with nature, and combating obesity in youth;
Whereas people living within a 10-minute walk of a park have higher levels of 
        physical activity and lower rates of obesity;
Whereas older adults engage in over 3.5 times more physical activity when they 
        have access to a walking loop or trail at a local public park;
Whereas the positive impact of outdoor play on a child's brain has been well 
        documented;
Whereas, of the people in the United States--

    (1) 70 percent go to their local park;

    (2) 83 percent say they personally benefit from local parks; and

    (3) 92 percent say their community benefits from local parks;

Whereas community recreation programs at public park and recreation facilities 
        provide children with a safe place to play, access to healthy foods, 
        opportunities to be physically active, opportunities for social-
        emotional learning, and academic enrichment activities that greatly 
        assist working families with childcare services and help to reduce at-
        risk behavior such as substance use and gang involvement;
Whereas nutrition education provided at public park and recreation facilities 
        results in a 20 percent increase in fruit and vegetable knowledge for 
        youth;
Whereas local parks serve as important transportation hubs for a community, 
        providing access to walking, running and biking pathways;
Whereas 73 percent of adults believe parks, trails, and open spaces are an 
        essential part of the healthcare system;
Whereas residents in low-income areas with more tree canopy and street level 
        vegetation had a 37 percent reduced risk of depression; and
Whereas public park and recreation facilities and activities reduce fuel costs 
        and commute times by providing a place close to home to relax, exercise, 
        and reduce stress: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the great societal value of public park and 
        recreation facilities and activities and their importance in 
        communities across the United States;
            (2) recognizes and honors the vital contributions of 
        employees and volunteers for public park and recreation 
        facilities and activities; and
            (3) supports the designation of a ``Park and Recreation 
        Month''.
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