New Jersey-2010-A2695-Introduced

An Act concerning fees for admission to State parks and forests and for fishing, hunting, and trapping licenses, and amending P.L.1983, c.324 and P.L.1993, c.303.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 12 of P.L.1983, c.324 (C.13:1L-12) is amended to read as follows:

12. a. The department shall not charge an admission fee for entrance into a State park or forest by any person who is:

(1) a resident of the State of 62 or more years of age or who is totally disabled [or who is] ;

(2) an active member of the New Jersey National Guard who has completed Initial Active Duty Training ;

(3) a member of a unit of the organized reserve of the Armed Forces of the United States which is located in New Jersey;

(4) an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States; or

(5) a disabled veteran .

The department shall prescribe by regulation the types of evidence that may be used to qualify persons for the benefits of this [subsection] section .

b. As used in this section[,] :

"Disabled veteran" means any person who has been honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States and who has been declared by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or its successor, to have a service-connected disability of any degree; and

"Initial Active Duty Training" means Basic Military Training, for members of the New Jersey Air National Guard, and Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training, for members of the New Jersey Army National Guard.

(cf: P.L.1993, c.304, s.1)

2. Section 1 of P.L.1993, c.303 (C.23:3-1e) is amended to read as follows:

1. a. Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, no fee, including application fees and issuance fees, may be charged of an applicant for a license, permit, stamp, tag, or certificate to hunt, fish, trap, or otherwise lawfully take fish, game, or any other wildlife in the State, who is :

(1) an active member of the New Jersey National Guard who has completed Initial Active Duty Training [or who is] ;

(2) a member of a unit of the organized reserve of the Armed Forces of the United States which is located in New Jersey;

(3) an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States; or

(4) a disabled veteran.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife shall prescribe by regulation the types of evidence that may be used to qualify persons for the benefits of this section.

b. As used in this [act] section :

"Disabled veteran" means any [resident of the State] person who has been honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States and who has been declared by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or its successor, to have a service-connected disability of any degree; and

(cf: P.L.1999, c.282, s.5)

3. Section 2 of P.L.1993, c.303 (C.23:3-1f) is amended to read as follows:

2. At the end of each fiscal year, the Director of the Division of Fish [, Game] and Wildlife shall certify to the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury the amount that the "hunters' and anglers' license fund" has been reduced as a result of any license issued without charge pursuant to section 1 of [this act] P.L.1993, c.303 (C.23:3-1e) . An amount equal to the amount certified shall be appropriated each year from the General Fund to the "hunters' and anglers' license fund" for additional operating costs.

(cf: P.L.1993, c.303, s.2)

4. This act shall take effect immediately, except that section 1 of this act shall take effect on the 90th day after the date of enactment and section 2 of this act shall take effect January 1 next following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

Current law provides that active members of the New Jersey National Guard who have completed Initial Active Duty Training may obtain free admission to State parks and forests as well as free hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses, permits, stamps, tags, and certificates. Current law also provides that disabled veterans qualify for free hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses, permits, stamps, tags, and certificates, but not for free admission to State parks and forests.

This bill would expand upon current law to provide that disabled veterans would be entitled to free admission to State parks and forests. Also, the bill would expand upon current law to provide that persons with any of the following types of military service would also be entitled to free admission to State parks and forests and to free hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses, permits, stamps, tags, and certificates:

(1) a member of a unit of the organized reserve of the Armed Forces of the United States which is located in New Jersey; and

(2) an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States.

Finally, the bill would provide that the benefits authorized in the bill and in current law would apply to both residents and nonresidents of the State who meet the established criteria.