1. (a)

   1. (1) There is a Parks and Recreation Commission in the Department.
   2. (2) The purpose of the Commission is to provide oversight of the Park Service.

2. (b) The Commission shall consist of the following members:

   1. (1) A chair, appointed jointly by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House;
   2. (2) Two members of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of the Senate;
   3. (3) Two members of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of the House;
   4. (4) One citizen member, appointed by the President of the Senate;
   5. (5) One citizen member, appointed by the Speaker of the House;
   6. (6) Four members, appointed by the Governor, who reflect the racial, gender, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the State; and
   7. (7) Two members of the Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities, designated by the Chair of the Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities.
3. (c) The Department shall provide staff for the Commission.

4. (d) The Department shall annually provide the Commission with a briefing on the status of the Park Service and park system, including:

   1. (1) The number of annual capacity closures, listed by location;
   2. (2) The critical maintenance backlog;
   3. (3) Vacant staff positions;
   4. (4) A description of the condition of the park system's natural and cultural resources, including any vulnerabilities; and

   5. (5) Any other information:

      1. (i) Related to the functioning of the Park Service; or
      2. (ii) Requested by the members of the Commission.

5. (e)

   1. (1) The Commission shall meet quarterly to review the status of the Park Service.
   2. (2) At each meeting, the Department shall report to the Commission on expenditures from the Park System Capital Improvements and Acquisition Fund.

6. (f)

   1. (1) 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.

   2. (2) The report submitted under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall include the Commission's:

      1. (i) Findings on the status of the Park Service; and
      2. (ii) Recommendations on how the General Assembly can support the Park Service.

Added by Acts 2022, c. 39, § 1, eff. June 1, 2022. Amended by Acts 2024, c. 402, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2024.