The U.S. House of Representatives voted Tuesday to pass a $1.4 trillion spending package consisting of two separate pieces of legislation. The package includes all fiscal year 2020 funding bills. The Senate is expected to follow suit this week, which would send the legislation to the president’s desk. The goal is to prevent a government shutdown scheduled to begin at midnight on Friday, Dec. 20.
The White House says the president is prepared to sign the legislation into law. The bipartisan agreement includes a number of measures and funding increases for federal land agencies that are critical to the well-being of the RV industry.
Highlights from the 2,371-page spending package include:
- Increased funding for recreation programs, operations and deferred maintenance for federal land agencies.
- Continued funding for the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account to update the annual statistics on the impact of the outdoor recreation on the economy.
- Department of Labor workforce and apprenticeship grants.
- Land and water conservation funding of $495.1 million—its highest level in more than 15 years.
- Increased investment in broadband internet access in rural America.
- Reauthorization of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to October 1, 2021.
- Level funding for the Centennial Challenge Program at $20 million.
- Increased funding for the Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Program to address large transportation projects in our national parks, tribal lands and other public lands.
- A step forward for a critical Government Accountability Office study on outdoor recreation funding.
The GAO study, a priority request from the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), would be a big win for the outdoor recreation community. A recent government report confirmed that outdoor recreation is an economic powerhouse accounting for 2.2 percent of U.S. GDP. The industry also supports 5.2 million jobs and has an economic output of $778 billion.
This study will identify programs carried out by federal agencies that directly impact the outdoor recreation sector. It will also present federal spending information for these programs, providing data regarding what levels the government has historically funded outdoor recreation programs.
This report will bolster advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and within the administration as the RVIA works to promote outdoor recreation policy. It will also address the $20 billion maintenance backlog on federal lands that affects campgrounds and infrastructure.
For more information please contact Chris Bornemann, [email protected].
