Provisions In The 2022 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Bolster Outdoor Recreation Industry

This past weekend, President Biden signed the $1.5 trillion omnibus appropriations bill to fund the federal government. Included in the bill are a number of provisions beneficial to the RV industry and the wider outdoor recreation industry. In particular, the bill provides funding for the federal land agencies and continues to fund the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (ORSA) which provides an annual study into the economic impact of outdoor recreation.

“The RV Industry Association applauds Congress for providing much-needed appropriations for the federal land agencies on which RVers rely, as well as full funding to advance the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account,” said RV Industry Association Director of Federal Affairs Chris Bornemann. “ORSA numbers have been an excellent resource for the RV industry and wider outdoor recreation advocates on Capitol Hill. This data helps policymakers better understand the incredible $689 billion economic impact of outdoor recreation on the U.S. economy and gives the industry some great representation.”

The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) also celebrated the continued funding for ORSA, as well as a new requirement for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct the Outdoor Industry Veterans Careers GAO Study to identify efforts that connect U.S. veterans to careers and jobs in the outdoor industry. This provision was authored by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Michael Bennet (D-CO).

“ORSA funding is essential to the outdoor recreation industry because it measures the outdoor recreation economy, this year at $689 billion, 4.3 million jobs and 1.8 percent of GDP, and helps elected officials, businesses, and the public understand the economic impact of this growing industry,” said Outdoor Recreation Roundtable President Jessica Turner. “As this sector of the economy continues to expand, the Outdoor Industry Veterans Careers GAO Study will also be a win-win, both by identifying opportunities for veterans to pursue careers in outdoor recreation and by providing the industry with strong candidates for the growing workforce. The outdoor recreation industry is excited these two provisions were funded and looks forward to them contributing to a better understanding of the benefits of recreation and quality of life for all Americans.”

“After several extensions the Highway Users are very pleased that now the full funding included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will come to fruition,” added Laura Perrotta American Highway Users Alliance President and CEO. “The Highway Users appreciates our members' engagement to help get this bill across the finish line.”

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed last fall, allotted $102.9 billion in budgetary resources, a historic amount of funding, for the Department of Transportation to invest in highways, port systems, transit, passenger rail, and more. The infrastructure bill also included $3.3 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration and $234 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program. IIJA will expand bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and support federal automotive safety programs, among other initiatives.

The omnibus also ends the “no new starts” provision under the continuing resolution which prevented implementing new policies and programs from the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

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