Bill Text: NJ A1774 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Exempts veterans from camping facilities fees at State parks and forests.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [A1774 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A1774-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BRIAN E. RUMPF
District 9 (Ocean)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Dunn
SYNOPSIS
Exempts veterans from camping facilities fees at State parks and forests.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning camping facilities fees at State parks and forests and amending P.L.2007, c.275.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2007, c.275 (C.13:1L-12.1) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. (1) The department shall not charge an admission fee for entrance into a State park or forest by any veteran during an event held by a veterans' organization. In addition, the department shall not charge a facilities fee of any kind to any veterans' organization using a State park or forest for an event.
(2) The department shall not charge an admission fee or facilities fee of any kind for entrance into a State park or forest by a person holding a driver's license or identification card with a Gold Star Family designation issued pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2013, c.165 (C.39:3-10f6) or section 2 of P.L.1980, c.47 (C.39:3-29.3), respectively.
(3) The department shall not charge a camping facilities fee of any kind at State parks or forests, including for the use of campsites, cabins, lean-tos, and shelters, to a veteran.
b. As used in this section:
"Veteran" means any resident of the State now or hereafter who has been discharged honorably or under general honorable conditions in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, or a Reserve component thereof, or the National Guard of this State or another state as defined in section 1 of P.L.1963, c.109 (C.38A:1-1), or any honorably discharged member of the American Merchant Marine who served during World War II and is declared by the United States Department of Defense to be eligible for federal veterans' benefits[; and] .
"Veterans' organization" means the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, or other veterans' organizations chartered under federal law, or any service foundation of such an organization recognized in its bylaws.
(cf: P.L.2019, c.500, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill exempts veterans from being required to pay any camping facilities fee for the use of campsites, cabins, lean-tos, and shelters at State parks and forests.
