The House and Senate passed a fiscal 2022 appropriations bill this week, sending the bill to the president to sign.
Fully funding fiscal 2022 appropriations will unlock access to new programs and additional funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that were awaiting appropriations.
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable also highlighted two outdoor recreation related sections within the appropriations bill.
First, the government continued to fund the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (ORSA) with $1.5 million.
“ORSA funding is essential to the outdoor recreation industry,” ORR President Jessica Turner said, “because it measures the outdoor recreation economy, this year at $689 billion, 4.3 million jobs and 1.8 percent of GDP, and helps elected officials, businesses, and the public understand the economic impact of this growing industry.”
Also, the bill includes a requirement for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct an Outdoor Industry Veterans Careers GAO study. The study will identify efforts to connect veterans to outdoor industry careers and jobs. The requirement was authored by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.).
“As this sector of the economy continues to expand, the Outdoor Industry Veterans Careers GAO Study will also be a win-win – both by identifying opportunities for veterans to pursue careers in outdoor recreation and by providing the industry with strong candidates for the growing workforce,” Turner said. “The outdoor recreation industry is excited these two provisions were funded and looks forward to them contributing to a better understanding of the benefits of recreation and quality of life for all Americans.”
A statement from the White House after Senate passage praised the bipartisan nature of the funding process.
“The bipartisan funding bill … will reduce costs for families and businesses, support our economic recovery and advance American leadership abroad,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. “The bill also ends a damaging series of short-term continuing resolutions that have undermined the government’s ability to meet pressing challenges. We thank leaders in the House and Senate for their partnership in getting this bill done, and the president looks forward to signing it into law.”
