Sponsors (2)
The bill expands federal support for sports and youth activity facilities—potentially improving health, safety, and local economies in underserved and rural areas—but requires federal spending and risks uneven access and displacement of other community priorities if funds are not allocated equitably or facilities fail to generate sustained benefits.
Children and youth in low-income, rural, and underserved urban communities gain greater access to indoor and outdoor sports and recreation facilities, increasing opportunities for physical education, play, and community programming (which can improve physical and mental health).
Highly rural and low-tax-base communities become eligible for federal support to build active-lifestyle infrastructure, enabling investments local governments otherwise could not afford.
Targeted investments can deliver youth facilities in communities affected by high opioid use or violence, aiming to improve youth wellbeing, safety, and social supports.
Taxpayers may face increased federal spending to fund facility projects, which could divert funds from other federal priorities or services.
Communities with stronger grant-writing capacity or more resources could capture a disproportionate share of funding, leaving the most resource-poor areas still underserved.
Grant awards for sports infrastructure could crowd out other local needs (libraries, non-sports youth programs, social services) if funding priorities shift toward facilities over alternative supports.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Expands federal economic development grant purposes to explicitly allow youth sports and recreation facility projects that promote health, serve underserved/rural children, and spur local jobs and economic growth.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by Thomas Jonathan Ossoff · Last progress April 10, 2025
Amends the Public Works and Economic Development Act to add youth sports facilities and related objectives to the list of eligible project purposes for federal economic development grants. The change directs grant programs to consider projects that expand access to recreation, address sedentary lifestyles and obesity, serve highly rural and low‑income/underserved children, promote local economic development, and create jobs tied to youth sports facilities.