me to a career in government affairs. I look forward to telling the stories of people who have helped me build that passion - park and recreation professionals precisely like you. I relish the opportunity to support your critical work and advocate for parks and recreation on Capitol Hill. Growing Influence Expanding the public policy and advocacy department will allow NRPA to better engage with Congress and further our legislative priorities. One of our top priorities in the 118th Congress is the passage of the Outdoors for All Act (S. 448/H.R. 1065). This critical piece of legislation is being led in the House of Representatives by Rep. Nanette Díaz Barragán (D-CA-44) and Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH-10); in the Senate, Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) lead it. The Outdoors for All Act (tinyurl. com/ucj4x6au) would codify the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Program (ORLP). Established by Congress in 2014, ORLP aims to support the development of new outdoor recreation spaces across the United States. This landmark program already has supported successful programs in 50 communities nationwide. However, the ORLP is not a permanent program. The Outdoors for All Act seeks to remedy this and provide the program with funding well into the future. The bill also reformulates the existing ORLP program to allow more communities, particularly smaller and rural communities, to apply for the program. At NRPA, we believe that all should have access to recreation space nationwide, and it Expanding the public policy and advocacy department will allow NRPA to better engage with Congress and further our legislative priorities. is crucial that the Outdoors for All Act pass in the 118th Congress. Prioritizing Parks and Recreation The Outdoors for All Act is far from our only priority in this Congress. NRPA government affairs staff are hard at work engaging with lawmakers and stakeholders on various issues relevant to park and recreation professionals and their communities. This includes work on the Land and Water Conservation Fund state assistance program to ensure it receives the funding needed to support our communities. We are working on increasing funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to support green infrastructure projects happening in local parks nationwide. NRPA also supports youth mentoring and child nutrition programs that our The Outdoors for All Act is far from our only priority in this Congress. NRPA government affairs staff are hard at work engaging with lawmakers and stakeholders on various issues relevant to park and recreation professionals and their communities. agencies rely on. While these are just some of the policy issues we're tackling at NRPA, they provide a good snapshot of our work. We proudly serve as the voice of park and recreation professionals on Capitol Hill. Christian Miller is Government Affairs Manager at NRPA (cmiller@nrpa.org). PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | APRIL 2 0 2 4 | Parks & Recreation 21http://tinyurl.com/ucj4x6au