PRINTER'S NO. 851 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL No.824 Session of 2025 INTRODUCED BY KHAN, FLICK, CERRATO, HANBIDGE, HILL-EVANS, WAXMAN, MADDEN, MAYES, McNEILL, SANCHEZ, KENYATTA, D. MILLER, HOHENSTEIN, MALAGARI, PASHINSKI, PROBST, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, BOROWSKI, BRENNAN, DOUGHERTY AND RIVERA, MARCH 6, 2025 REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TOURISM, RECREATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MARCH 6, 2025 AN ACT Amending the act of June 28, 1995 (P.L.89, No.18), entitled "An act creating the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources consisting of certain functions of the Department of Environmental Resources and the Department of Community Affairs; renaming the Department of Environmental Resources as the Department of Environmental Protection; defining the role of the Environmental Quality Board in the Department of Environmental Protection; making changes to responsibilities of the State Conservation Commission and the Department of Agriculture; transferring certain powers and duties to the Department of Health; and repealing inconsistent acts," in Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, further providing for community recreation and heritage conservation. The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows: Section 1. Section 306 of the act of June 28, 1995 (P.L.89, No.18), known as the Conservation and Natural Resources Act, is amended by adding a subsection to read: Section 306. Community recreation and heritage conservation. * * * (a.1) Grant priority.--In considering applications for grants under this act specifically related to playgrounds, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 playground equipment and associated recreation areas , the department shall give priority to projects that correct accessibility deficiencies for individuals with a disability, including accessible playground equipment, such as ramped, ground-level play features, accessible swings, wheelchair accessible tables, adjustable equipment, universally accessible swings, transfer platforms, sensory play equipment and adaptations for blind and visually impaired individuals. The department shall prioritize projects that create a recreation area universally designed to meet the needs of all individuals and where all equipment, and the recreation area itself, is accessible for individuals with a disability over projects that would create a recreation area where only some equipment, or only the recreation area itself, is accessible for individuals with a disability. * * * Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. 20250HB0824PN0851 - 2 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17