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<section article="gnr" article_name="Natural Resources" number="5-2A-03" title_number="5" title_name="Forests and Parks" subtitle_number="2A" subtitle_name="Maryland Park Service">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>There is a Parks and Recreation Commission in the Department.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The purpose of the Commission is to provide oversight of the Park Service.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The Commission shall consist of the following members:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>A chair, appointed jointly by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Two members of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of the Senate;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Two members of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of the House;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>One citizen member, appointed by the President of the Senate;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>One citizen member, appointed by the Speaker of the House;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>Four members, appointed by the Governor, who reflect the racial, gender, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the State; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>Two members of the Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities, designated by the Chair of the Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Department shall provide staff for the Commission.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The Department shall annually provide the Commission with a briefing on the status of the Park Service and park system, including:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The number of annual capacity closures, listed by location;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The critical maintenance backlog;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Vacant staff positions;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>A description of the condition of the park system’s natural and cultural resources, including any vulnerabilities; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Any other information:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Related to the functioning of the Park Service; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Requested by the members of the Commission.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Commission shall meet quarterly to review the status of the Park Service.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>At each meeting, the Department shall report to the Commission on expenditures from the Park System Capital Improvements and Acquisition Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>On or before December 1, 2024, and each December 1 thereafter, the Commission shall submit a report to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee, the House Appropriations Committee, and the House Environment and Transportation Committee in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The report submitted under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall include the Commission’s:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Findings on the status of the Park Service; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Recommendations on how the General Assembly can support the Park Service.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
