BILL ANALYSIS
AB 31
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 31 (De Leon)
As Amended April 10, 2007
Majority vote
WATER, PARKS & WILDLIFE 8-3 APPROPRIATIONS
(vote not
available)
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|Ayes:|Wolk, Caballero, Charles | | |
| |Calderon, Huffman, Lieu, | | |
| |Mullin, Nava, Salas | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Maze, Anderson, La Malfa | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : States legislative intent that $400 million be made
available to the Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) to award
competitive grants pursuant to the Urban Parks Act (Act) of
2006, renames the Act, and modifies the definition of "heavily
urbanized county" for purposes of the Act. Specifically, this
bill :
1)States the intent of the Legislature to make available to DPR,
upon appropriation, $400 million that shall be used to award
competitive grants pursuant to the Neighborhood Park and
Recreation Revitalization Act of 2007.
2)Changes the name of the existing Urban Parks Act of 2006 to
the "Neighborhood Park and Recreation Revitalization Act of
2007."
3)Changes the definition of "heavily urbanized county" under the
Act to include counties with a population of 350,000 or more
people and a density of at least 900 persons per square mile.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the Act which requires DPR to establish a local
assistance program to offer competitive local park grants to
eligible cities and counties. Limits eligibility to heavily
urbanized counties (defined as counties with a population of
500,000 or more and a density of at least 1,100 persons per
AB 31
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square mile), cities or districts within heavily urbanized
counties, and cities with populations of 100,000 or more.
2)Makes, under Proposition 84, $400 million in bond funds
available to DPR for competitive grants for local and regional
parks. Provides that these funds may be allocated to existing
programs or pursuant to implementing legislation, subject to
specified considerations, including the following:
a) Requires that preference be given to new parks and
expansion of overused parks that provide park and
recreational access to underserved communities, to the
creation of parks in neighborhoods where none currently
exist, and to applicants that actively involve community
based groups in the selection and planning of projects.
b) Requires that projects be designed to provide
efficient use of water and other natural resources.
c) Requires that outreach and technical assistance be
provided to underserved communities to encourage full
participation.
3)Provides for other local assistance park programs such as the
Murray-Hayden Urban Parks and Youth Services Program, the
Youth Soccer and Recreation Development Program, the State
Urban Parks and Healthy Communities Park program, and the
Roberti-Z'berg-Harris Grant Program, each of which have
different eligibility criteria.
FISCAL IMPACT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, substantial cost pressures resulting from legislative
intent to make $400 million available for urban park grants,
which could come either from the General Fund or from the $400
million in bond funds earmarked in Proposition 84 for local and
regional parks.
COMMENTS : This bill is intended to serve as a vehicle for
allocation of the $400 million in bonds authorized in
Proposition 84 for competitive grants to local and regional
parks. This bill would require all of the local park bond funds
in Proposition 84 to be allocated through the Act, which would
be renamed the Neighborhood Park and Recreation Revitalization
Act. Under this bill only heavily urbanized counties, cities
AB 31
Page 3
within heavily urbanized counties, and cities with over 100,000
population would be eligible to receive park grants.
Currently, heavily urbanized counties are defined under the Act
to include counties with a population of 500,000 or more and a
density of at least 1,100 persons per square mile. This bill
would change the definition to include counties with a
population of 350,000 or more, and a density of 900 persons per
square mile. Under the current definition the following
counties are included: Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles,
Orange, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara.
By changing the definition to 350,000 or more population, this
bill does not add any new counties to the eligibility list,
since there are no other counties that meet the density
requirement.
Cities with over 100,000 population that are not in a heavily
urbanized county include: Bakersfield, Chula Vista, Corona,
Escondido, Fairfield, Fontana, Fresno, Modesto, Moreno Valley,
Oceanside, Ontario, Oxnard, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside,
Salinas, San Bernardino, San Buenaventura, San Diego, Santa
Rosa, Simi Valley, Stockton, Thousand Oaks, and Vallejo.
According to the author, the purpose of this bill is to
revitalize California's park-poor communities and promote
healthy living in healthy neighborhoods across the state. The
author notes that California's city residents lack adequate
access to parks and open space near their homes and
neighborhoods, and that this lack of access contributes to
problems of obesity, particularly among communities with higher
poverty rates and higher proportions of racial/ethnic
minorities.
Analysis Prepared by : Diane Colborn / W., P. & W. / (916)
319-2096
FN: 0000988