Co-Sponsorship Memo Details

In 1978, the New Jersey Legislature passed what is now known as ROID, Recreational Opportunities for Individuals with disabilities.  For almost fifty years, municipalities and counties in New Jersey have been using state grants to run successful programs to provide recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities. 

There have been significant investments in rebuilding and developing the “bricks & mortar” and accessibility in parks and the Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources funds several important programs for parks, wildlife and recreation, none have been established by our legislature to assist municipalities to actually run programming for individuals with disabilities.
           
I will be introducing legislation to establish a new grant program in DCNR for Recreational Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities. Local municipalities and counties would be able to apply to DCNR to fund these grants.  Like NJ, there would be 2 types of grants under this legislation: 1) for continuous, integrated recreation and leisure service programs and 2) Special events.
 
These municipalities and counties could run these programs themselves or they could also partner with nonprofit organizations for specific special events.

Municipalities and counties would be required to fund 20% of the program and there would be reporting, oversight and rulemaking authority provided by the bill.   I look at this bill as a starting point to discuss and debate inclusive recreation in this Commonwealth.