Bill Text: NY S07300 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Provides that veterans who are NY residents may use state parks, recreation facilities and historic sites without fees.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS [S07300 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S07300-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7300

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 19, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered printed,
          and when printed to be committed to the Committee on  Veterans,  Home-
          land Security and Military Affairs

        AN  ACT  to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to free use of
          state parks, recreation facilities and historic sites by veterans

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  The  veterans'  services  law  is amended by adding a new
     2  section 29-c to read as follows:
     3    § 29-c. Free use of state parks, recreation  facilities  and  historic
     4  sites  by  veterans. 1. Veterans, who are residents of this state, shall
     5  be entitled to the use of any park,  recreation  facility  and  historic
     6  site  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  office of parks, recreation and
     7  historic preservation or the department  of  environmental  conservation
     8  upon the same terms as the public, but without the payment of any fee or
     9  other  charges for use, including but not limited to parking fees, camp-
    10  ing fees and entrance fees.
    11    2. The office of parks, recreation and historic preservation  and  the
    12  department of environmental conservation shall, in consultation with the
    13  department,  develop  a  program  to  promote  and  provide  information
    14  pertaining to the benefits provided under this section, which at a mini-
    15  mum shall include providing information on the websites of  the  depart-
    16  ment,  the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation and the
    17  department of environmental conservation as to  how  veterans,  who  are
    18  residents of this state, may access and use the parks, recreation facil-
    19  ities  and  historic  sites described in subdivision one of this section
    20  free of charge.
    21    3. The office of parks, recreation and historic preservation  and  the
    22  department of environmental conservation shall, in consultation with the
    23  department,  promulgate rules and regulations to administer the benefits
    24  provided for under this section.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11136-02-3
        S. 7300                             2

     1    4. For purposes of this section the term "veteran" shall have the same
     2  meaning as such term is defined in section one of this article and shall
     3  also include any veteran who has a qualifying condition  as  defined  in
     4  section  one of this article and has received a discharge other than bad
     5  conduct  or  dishonorable  or is a discharged LGBT veteran as defined in
     6  section one of this article, and has received a discharge other than bad
     7  conduct or dishonorable.
     8    § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next  succeeding
     9  the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
    10  addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
    11  for the implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized
    12  to be made and completed on or before such effective date.