H.R. 6245

[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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