What's happening
This bill allows New York active duty service members and their immediate families free annual vehicle passes to state parks and recreational facilities.
Why it matters
Reduces financial barriers for active duty service members and their families. by removing vehicle access fees, which could encourage more frequent use of New York’s state parks and recreational facilities and support family well-being.
Specifically targets New York residents serving in the organized state militia. , ensuring the benefit is focused on those actively contributing to state and national security, rather than all military personnel or veterans more broadly.
Requires agencies managing parks and recreation facilities to establish clear rules and procedures. for verifying eligibility and distributing the free annual passes, potentially streamlining access and reducing administrative confusion for military families.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Free Park Passes for Military
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
337
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. AKSHAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in relation to annual vehicular access for active duty service members
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The parks, recreation and historic preservation law is amended by adding a new section 13.22 to read as follows:
§ 13.22 Annual vehicular access for active duty service members. 1. Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the office or other state agency having jurisdiction of a state park or recreational facility which has the authority to issue an annual pass for vehicular access pursuant to this article shall issue such annual pass for vehicular access without charge to an active duty service member and his or her immediate family at any state park or recreational facility upon presentation of such active duty service member's military identification card.
2. For the purposes of this section, "active duty service member" shall mean a resident of the state who is an active member of the organized militia of the state of New York as defined by section one of the military law.
3. The office or other state agency having jurisdiction shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05565-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in relation to annual vehicular access for active duty service members
Purpose
This bill would ensure that all active duty service members and their immediate family have vehicular access to any state park or recreational facility upon presentation of their military identification card.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Amends the parks, recreation and historic preservation law by adding a new section 13.22 that provides that any active duty service member and his or her immediate family must have an annual vehicular access pass to any state or recreational park, upon the presentation of such service member's military identification card.
Section 1 part (A) defines an "active duty service member" as any resi- dent of the state who is an active member of the organized militia of the New York.
Section 2. of the bill lists the effective date.
Justification
The current law states that any member of the NYS Militia or any branch of the NYS National guard or military reserves, who is currently serving on active duty, is eligible for one free Empire Passport for use by his or her immediate family during deployment and for his or her own use when returning home.
Each active member must fill out an "Empire Passport" application annu- ally. Once the application has been approved, the service member or immediate family will receive a free Empire Passport in the mail. This process can be cumbersome because some military members are only on leave for a short time and will be back on duty when the Empire Passport arrives.
This legislation would streamline the process by allowing any active duty service members and their immediate family to utilize state and recreational parks in New York by providing their military ID upon entry.
Legislative history
2018 - S.3571: Passed Senate 2017 - S.3571: Passed Senate
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.