[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6245 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6245
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an
interagency task force on youth health and wellness to encourage
community-supported physical activity spaces.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 20, 2025
Ms. Williams of Georgia (for herself and Mr. Bacon) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an
interagency task force on youth health and wellness to encourage
community-supported physical activity spaces.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Prioritizing Lifestyle and Activity
for Youth Act'' or the ``PLAY Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Playgrounds help enhance children's cognitive functions
and build important creative thinking and problem-solving
skills that contributes to their emotional and physical well-
being.
(2) Playgrounds are critical to children's physical and
mental health, and every child in America deserves access to a
safe and quality place to play.
(3) Local green spaces can reduce surface heat temperatures
by 10 to 20 degrees, which has become the number one weather-
related killer in the United States.
(4) Safe and accessible playgrounds are proven public
health infrastructure that promote physical activity, reduce
chronic disease risk, support social-emotional development, and
strengthen community cohesion.
SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON CHILD WELLNESS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
INFRASTRUCTURE.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall
establish a task force to be known as the ``Task Force on Child
Wellness and Physical Activity Infrastructure'' (in this section
referred to as the ``Task Force'').
(b) Composition.--The Task Force shall be composed of the following
members or their designees:
(1) The Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(2) The Secretary of the Interior.
(3) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency.
(4) The Secretary of Agriculture.
(5) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
(6) The Secretary of Transportation.
(7) The Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality.
(8) The Secretary of Defense.
(9) The Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers.
(10) The Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for
National and Community Service.
(11) The Secretary of Education.
(12) Any other member that the Secretary of Health and
Human Services determines to be appropriate.
(c) Chairpersons.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services and
the Secretary of the Interior shall serve as co-chairpersons of the
Task Force (in this section referred to as the ``Chairpersons'').
(d) Duties.--
(1) Task force.--The duties of the Task Force shall be--
(A) to identify opportunities to formalize
coordination between the Department of Health and Human
Services, public health and public lands agencies, and
partner organizations regarding the use of outdoor
spaces for creating outdoor environments that encourage
physical activity and well-being among youth;
(B) to identify existing barriers to providing
children with opportunities for accessing close-to-
home, community-driven, and outdoor spaces;
(C) to develop recommendations to better facilitate
active play for the promotion of health and well-being,
academic learning, and safe community centers;
(D) to develop recommendations for how agencies may
work together to ensure the ability of child wellness
infrastructure to meet the diverse health,
environmental, and resiliency needs of the surrounding
community; and
(E) to identify and promote scalable models, such
as public-private partnerships between public, private,
and nonprofit sector organizations, that build
evidence-based play environments proven to improve
children's physical and emotional health.
(2) Consultation.--The Task Force shall carry out the
duties under paragraph (1) in consultation with appropriate
health and wellness and outdoor recreation groups, including
organizations with experience in community-led playground
development, child health, and physical activity promotion.
(e) Reports.--
(1) Preliminary report.--Not later than 180 days after the
date on which the Task Force is established, the Chairpersons
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
report on the preliminary findings of the Task Force.
(2) Final report.--Not later than one year after the date
of the submittal of the preliminary report under paragraph (1),
the Chairpersons shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report on the findings of the Task Force, which
shall include the recommendations developed under subparagraphs
(C) and (D) of subsection (d)(1).
(f) Duration.--The Task Force shall terminate on the date that is
one year after the date of the submittal of the final report under
subsection (e)(2).
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate.
(2) Child wellness infrastructure.--The term ``child
wellness infrastructure'' means community-based environments
intentionally designed to support children's physical activity,
play, and health. Such infrastructure may include playgrounds,
outdoor learning spaces, nature play areas, and safe places for
movement and social interaction.
(3) Public lands.--The term ``public lands'' means any
lands under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government or a
State or local government.
(4) Youth.--The term ``youth'' means any individual under
the age of 18.
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