Bill > H249

This bill provides $10,112 in nonrecurring funds to North Carolina State University's Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management to create a pilot program in Wake County aimed at increasing diversity in pickleball. Recognizing that pickleball offers significant public health benefits, including physical activity, social connections, and psychological well-being, the program seeks to address the current underrepresentation of people of color in the sport. The pilot will involve conducting focus groups with people of color to understand how to promote diversity, creating a branded program with marketing materials, coordinating with community partners to market the initiative, hosting four-week sessions at Method Road and Chavis recreation centers in Raleigh during fall 2025 and spring 2026, and developing a toolkit for other parks and recreation departments and community organizations to replicate the program. The funds will not revert at the end of the fiscal year but will remain available for the program's purposes, with the bill becoming effective on July 1, 2025.

Budget and Finance

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H249