RICHMOND, Va. — CORRECTION: This story has been updated to state that legislation mentioned in this article never went into effect. The bill, and the pilot program it would have created, were both tabled earlier this year by a Virginia House committee.
A proposed bill to help Virginia's Department of Conservation and Recreation increase accessibility in Virginia's State Parks died in a state House committee earlier this year.
The two-year pilot program would have introduced all-terrain power wheelchairs at the parks. It would have run from October 1 until September 30, 2025.
Under the bill, the department would choose the parks for the pilot program, and create a contract for purchasing the wheelchairs, according to the bill. The department would also be responsible for adopting regulations and reporting the program's outcomes by November 1, 2025.
The bill was proposed by Virginia Del. Kathy Tran in January and passed through the Virginia House of Delegates Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources. The House Appropriations Committee tabled the bill 11-0 on Feb. 3, 2023, though.
