Bill Text: NJ S2457 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Appropriates $3 million in federal funding from "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" to DEP for construction of completely inclusive playgrounds.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-05 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee [S2457 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S2457-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Appropriates $3 million in federal funding from "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" to DEP for construction of completely inclusive playgrounds.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act allocating funds from the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" for completely inclusive playgrounds and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Out of the amounts of federal funds provided or made accessible to the State by the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," Pub.L. 117-2, there is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection the sum of $3 million to be used to provide grants to local government units for the design and construction of completely inclusive playgrounds pursuant to subsection b. of this section.
b. No later than six months after the effective date of this section, the Department of Environmental Protection shall solicit applications from local government units for the design and construction of completely inclusive playgrounds. The department shall establish a grant application process and transparent eligibility and ranking criteria for applications for funding for the design and construction of completely inclusive playgrounds, both of which shall be published on the department's Internet website. The grant application process may be the same as the application process established by the Office of Green Acres pursuant to section 24 of P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-24).
The department shall provide priority to applications for projects located in counties that do not currently operate and maintain a completely inclusive playground. The department may determine a maximum amount for grants awarded pursuant to this section, so as to ensure that grants may be distributed to local government units throughout the State.
c. No later than 30 months after the effective date of this section, the Department of Environmental Protection shall prepare and submit to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, a report detailing the grants issued pursuant to this section, including the name of the grant recipient, the amount of the grant, and a description of the completely inclusive playground project funded by the grant. The report may also include any recommendations the department deems appropriate for administrative or legislative action that would aid in the design and construction of completely inclusive playgrounds throughout the State.
d. As used in this section:
"Completely inclusive playground" means the same as defined in section 4 of P.L.2018, c.104 (C.13:8C-27.1).
"Local government unit" means
the same as that term is defined in section 3 of P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-3).
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would appropriate to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) $3 million from the funds provided to the State by the federal government under the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," Pub. L. 117-2, to be used for the development of completely inclusive playgrounds.
"Completely inclusive playground" means a playground designated for public use for children two to five years of age or five to twelve years of age, that meet certain accessibility requirements, including standards detailed in the "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990" (42 U.S.C. s.12101 et seq.).
No later than six months after the bill is enacted into law, the bill would require the DEP to solicit applications from local government units for the design and construction of completely inclusive playgrounds. The bill directs the DEP to establish, and publish on its website, a grant application process and transparent eligibility and ranking criteria for applications for funding for the design and construction of completely inclusive playgrounds. The bill would require the DEP to provide priority to applications for projects located in counties that do not currently operate and maintain a completely inclusive playground.
In addition, the bill would require the DEP, no later than 30 months after the bill is enacted into law, to prepare and submit to the Governor and the Legislature, a report detailing the grants issued pursuant to the bill, including the name of the grant recipient, the amount of the grant, and a description of the completely inclusive playground project funded by the grant.
