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Advocate for Parks and Recreation Health Promotion Legislation

From the National Recreation and Park Association

This Spring two ground-breaking legislative initiatives have come to fruition to get communities active and healthy through parks and recreation. NRPA is committed to advancing opportunities for healthy lifestyles and livable communities for all Americans. Public parks and recreation plays a critical role in facilitating community wellness and quality of life. Please take action to advance these initiatives on Capitol Hill.

Support the Play Everyday Act in the House (H.R. 2045) and Senate (S. 651)

The Play Every Day Bill helps promote the national recommendation of physical activity to kids, families, and communities across the country. The bill supports the development of a well-validated community assessment tool, a "community play index" that can measure the policy, program or environmental barriers in communities to youth participating in physical activity. This Index will be used by communities to asses their own unique opportunities for kids to get physical activity and to identify the gaps that exist in providing the spaces and places for kids to play. In addition, the legislation assists coalitions to use the "community play index" to craft plans to promote physical activity and wellness in communities.

Support the IMPACT Act in the House of Representatives (H.R. 2677)

The "Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity (IMPACT) Act" addresses the growing public health problem of increasing rates of obesity, being overweight, and eating disorders, as well as the related serious chronic conditions. Due to its multifaceted nature, the bill takes a broad approach to avoid relying on a single solution to this complex problem. Where possible, the legislation appropriately focuses on programs and policies that have a strong evidence base. When such information is not available, the bill works to develop additional evidence through the use of rigorously evaluated demonstration projects. IMPACT takes a collaborative, rather than confrontational, approach with the private sector.

NRPA has been advocating for this bill since 2003. NRPA has been working with the primary bills sponsors, Rep Mary Bono (R-CA) and Senator Frist (R-TN) to amend the language in the bill to allow park and recreation agencies to be eligible entities to apply for and compete for the grants that our outlined in the bill. Rep. Bono reintroduced the bill on June 13. During the 109th Congress, former Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) sponsored this bill in the Senate. Physical activity and nutrition advocates are currently waiting for a new champion in the Senate for the bill.

Specifically, the grants fund community organizations and now Park and Recreation agencies too to conduct a variety of activities, which have demonstrated some benefit for curbing obesity, being overweight, and eating disorders. These programs focus on providing specific community interventions, school-based activities, and health care delivery system programs, while focusing on education, outreach, and interventional techniques. This program is authorized for $60 million in FY08.

HOW TO TAKE ACTION

Ask your Senators and U.S. Representatives to co-sponsor the Play Every Day Act. Additionally, ask your U.S. Representative to co-sponsor the IMPACT Act. Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and get connected to the offices of your federal legislators. Ask to speak to the staff that handles community health issues. Learn who your members of congress are by going to www.congress.org .

View a Dear Colleague letter in the House gathering support for the Play Everyday Act in the House: http://www.nrpa.org/content/default.aspx?documentId=5927

For additional information contact NRPA Public Policy at 202-887-0290, or email mphillips@nrpa.org.

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