Bill Text: NJ S697 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates matching grant program in DCA to assist counties in retrofitting county parks to enhance usage by handicapped children; appropriates $525,000.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (N/A - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee [S697 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S697-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH PENNACCHIO
District 26 (Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Creates matching grant program in DCA to assist counties in retrofitting county parks to enhance usage by handicapped children; appropriates $525,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act establishing a matching grant program in the Department of Community Affairs to assist counties in enhancing use of county parks by handicapped children, supplementing chapter 27D of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs shall establish a matching grant program to assist counties in purchasing or replacing recreational equipment for county parks which is accessible to and usable by handicapped children, as prescribed in the Barrier Free Subcode adopted pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-123). Applicants may include county governing bodies or park commissions, as the case may be. Funds shall be made available from the General Fund. For each three dollars raised by the county, $1 shall be provided by the State, but the total amount available to any one county in a given year shall not exceed $25,000.
The director shall, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), promulgate guidelines to govern the distribution of funds. As a condition for receiving funding pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the applicant shall demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the director, that the equipment upgrades will not only foster the usage of the county park by handicapped children, but encourage their integration with able bodied children in their use of the park. Those amounts disbursed pursuant to this section may be used to pay for design, construction and equipment costs, as the case may be.
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs the sum of $525,000 to effectuate the purposes of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a 3:1 matching grant program to assist counties in retrofitting county parks to make recreational equipment accessible to and usable by handicapped children and makes a General Fund appropriation of $525,000 to achieve these purposes. For each $3 raised by the county, the county will be eligible to receive a $1 match. A county may receive up to $25,000 in any given year under this bill.
It is intended that the grant should foster the integration of this specially-designed equipment in these playgrounds with other equipment used by able-bodied children. Those amounts disbursed under the bill may be used to pay for design, construction or equipment costs, or any combination thereof.
As a result of the passage of P.L.1999, c.50 (C.52:27D-123.9 et seq.), all public playgrounds must be brought into compliance with the playground safety standards promulgated by the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission contained in the Handbook for Public Playground Safety. New Jersey playgrounds must also comply with the provisions of the Barrier-Free Subcode which forms part of the State Uniform Construction Code and is adopted by regulation pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-123). In some respects, the Barrier-Free Subcode overlaps with the Handbook for Public Playground Safety, except that the accessibility requirements for recreational equipment are not covered by the Handbook.
The costs of fulfilling the 1999 statutory mandate in all public and private playgrounds within the State are considerable. Consequently, the $1 million anticipated in the FY2002 Budget for playground safety will be used exclusively for these safety upgrades and not for the accessibility enhancements anticipated by this bill.
