House Bill 1022 appropriates $196,760 in nonrecurring General Fund money for fiscal year 2026-2027 to North Carolina State University’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management to create and evaluate a community-based wellness pilot program. The program is designed to use pickleball as a low-cost recreational activity to increase physical activity, strengthen social connections, and improve psychosocial well-being in selected communities in eastern Wake, Halifax, and Lenoir counties.
The bill directs the university team to work with local Cooperative Extension agents and community partners to design, market, deliver, and evaluate the initiative. The program includes resident interviews, branded outreach materials, weekly instruction and gameplay over three months, and an evaluation of health and social outcomes. It also requires development of a toolkit so similar programs could be replicated elsewhere in North Carolina.
The bill would create a one-time state-funded pilot program at NC State University and make the appropriated funds nonreverting, meaning they remain available for the stated purpose rather than returning to the General Fund at year-end. It does not amend existing criminal, regulatory, or tax statutes, but it does direct state education and university resources toward a targeted public health and recreation initiative in three counties. The practical effect is to support local wellness programming and generate an implementation model for possible use in other communities.
The available bill text suggests a generally supportive, public-health-oriented purpose, emphasizing access, wellness, and community engagement rather than controversy. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no direct evidence of opposition or debate in the available record. The framing of the bill as a health equity and community access initiative indicates a favorable policy posture toward expanding recreational opportunities in underserved areas.
The main potential points of contention are likely to be the use of state funds for a sport-specific pilot program, the selection of counties, and whether pickleball is the best vehicle for addressing broader health equity and recreation access goals. Some observers may question the narrow geographic focus on eastern Wake, Halifax, and Lenoir counties or whether the initiative’s outcomes justify the appropriation. However, no specific objections, amendments, or recorded dissent are included in the provided materials.