Bill > S446

This bill aims to expand access to trails for people of all abilities in Massachusetts. It establishes a Trail Access Working Group within the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to collect data, review best practices, and make recommendations for improving access to both paved and unpaved trails across the state. The Working Group will include representatives from various stakeholder groups, including people with disabilities, and must hold public hearings to gather input. The DCR commissioner must respond to the Working Group's recommendations and provide a policy statement on how they will be implemented, including goals for increasing the number of accessible trails and the proportion of grant funding for such trails. The bill also requires the commissioner to annually submit the Working Group's report and the department's response.