(a) (1) On or before December 1, 2023, and every 5 years thereafter, the Department shall develop and publish a 5–year Capital Improvement Plan for the Park Service.
(2) In developing the Capital Improvement Plan, the Department shall, in coordination with the Commission, annually hold at least one public hearing with the opportunity for public comment.
(3) The 5–year Capital Improvement Plan shall include:
(i) A list of all outstanding critical maintenance projects and the projected cost of each project;
(ii) A prioritization of critical maintenance projects and an explanation of the process for prioritizing the projects; and
(iii) Scoring and ranking for each critical maintenance project, as determined by the prioritization process.
(4) The 5–year Capital Improvement Plan shall include the information required under paragraph (3) of this subsection disaggregated by region.
(5) The Department shall submit to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the 5–year Capital Improvement Plan for the Park Service.
(b) (1) The Department of Legislative Services shall hire an independent consultant to conduct an independent study of:
(i) Whether the Park Service is producing outcomes consistent with its mission;
(ii) The visitor experience for State parks, including:
1. Parking availability;
2. Cleanliness; and
3. Whether facilities, amenities, or areas are closed, including whether the closures are due to deferred maintenance;
(iii) How funding can be used to enable the Park Service to produce outcomes consistent with its mission; and
(iv) How Park Service projects can support:
1. Climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency; and
2. Public health.
(2) On or before December 1, 2023, the independent consultant shall submit, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, a report on its findings and recommendations to the Commission.
(c) The Department shall:
(1) Recognize as a formal policy that the State’s forests, trees, and wetlands are a major tool for addressing climate change with regard to mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency; and
(2) Require all Park Service projects to contribute, to the extent possible, to the improvement of local water quality.
(d) (1) The Park Service shall adopt universal design principles in its programming and amenities to ensure maximum access and safety for all residents and visitors, especially people with disabilities, older adults, and seniors.
(2) To ensure accessibility for individuals who are deaf, blind, or both, the Park Service website and all other digital outreach platforms shall adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 and Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
(e) The Park Service shall adopt design principles related to crime prevention in its programming and amenities to ensure maximum public safety for all residents and visitors.
(f) (1) The Department’s decisions related to the location and establishment of new State parks or amenities shall target areas:
(i) Identified by the Department’s park equity tool as in need of recreational opportunities; or
(ii) That would relieve overcrowding in existing State parks that have consistently had to close to the public due to capacity restrictions.
(2) The Department shall consider the cultural and ecological carrying capacities of State park areas when examining the development of new amenities in existing State parks.
(3) The Department’s decisions related to the establishment of State historical parks or other units that preserve and interpret the history of African American, Asian, Indigenous or Native American, and Hispanic or Latino populations in the State shall be made:
(i) In coordination with the Commission; and
(ii) With input from groups active in the preservation of historical sites of underrepresented communities, including:
1. The Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities;
2. The Commission on African American History and Culture;
3. The Governor’s Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs;
4. The Commission on Indian Affairs; and
5. The Office of Immigrant Affairs.