New Jersey A 338: Prohibits DEP from charging fee for resident mobile sportfishing vehicle permit to veterans, active military members, former or current members of the NJ National Guard or Reserve, or volunteer emergency workers.

Bill Text

(Sponsorship Updated As Of: 10/4/2022)
ASSEMBLY, No. 338

STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION

Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman AURA K. DUNN
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)

SYNOPSIS
Prohibits DEP from charging fee for resident mobile sportfishing vehicle
permit to veterans, active military members, former or current members of the
NJ National Guard or Reserve, or volunteer emergency workers.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

A338 DUNN
2

AN ACT concerning fees for mobile sportfishing vehicle permits 1
issued to residents of New Jersey who are veterans, active 2
military members, former or current members of the New Jersey 3
National Guard or Reserve, or volunteer emergency workers, and 4
supplementing P.L.1983, c.324 (C.13:1L-1 et seq.). 5
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BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 7
of New Jersey: 8
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1. a. (1) The department shall not charge a fee for a mobile 10
sportfishing vehicle permit, when issued to a resident of New Jersey 11
who is a veteran, active duty member of the Armed Forces of the 12
United States, former or current member of the New Jersey 13
National Guard or Reserve, or volunteer emergency worker, for a 14
vehicle registered in the name of the veteran; provided, however, no 15
such person shall be eligible to hold more than one free mobile 16
sportfishing vehicle permit at any given time. 17
(2) The department shall adopt, pursuant to the “Administrative 18
Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and 19
regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act, 20
including but not limited to, rules and regulations prescribing the 21
types of evidence that may be used to demonstrate a person is 22
eligible for the benefits of paragraph (1) of this subsection. 23
b. Except as otherwise provided in subsection a. of this section, 24
a resident of New Jersey who is a veteran, active duty member of 25
the Armed Forces of the United States, former or current member of 26
the New Jersey National Guard or Reserve, or volunteer emergency 27
worker who applies for a mobile sportfishing vehicle permit shall 28
be subject to the same laws, rules, and regulations applicable to 29
other applicants for the issuance of a mobile sportfishing vehicle 30
permit. 31
c. As used in this section: 32
“Emergency service organization” means a fire or first aid 33
organization, whether organized as a volunteer or part-paid fire 34
company, fire department, or fire district, or duly incorporated 35
volunteer first aid and emergency or volunteer ambulance or rescue 36
squad association. 37
“Mobile sportfishing vehicle permit” means a permit of any type, 38
class, or duration which is made available by the department to 39
allow for the operation of a motor vehicle on a beach for the 40
purpose of fishing. 41
“Veteran” means a person who has been honorably discharged or 42
released under honorable circumstances from active service in any 43
branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, or any honorably 44
discharged member of the American Merchant Marine who served 45
during World War II and is declared by the United States 46
Department of Defense to be eligible for federal veterans’ benefits. 47

A338 DUNN
3

“Volunteer emergency worker” means an unpaid volunteer who 1
serves on an active basis as a member of an emergency service 2
organization. 3
4
2. This act shall take effect immediately. 5
6
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STATEMENT 8
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This bill would prohibit the Department of Environmental 10
Protection from charging any fees to a New Jersey resident who is a 11
veteran, active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United 12
States, former or current member of the New Jersey National Guard 13
or Reserve, or volunteer emergency worker when issuing a mobile 14
sportfishing vehicle permit to that person. 15
The department currently issues and charges fees for mobile 16
sportfishing vehicle permits, which allow for the operation of motor 17
vehicles on fishing beaches at certain State parks, subject to various 18
safety requirements and other rules and regulations. This bill would 19
prohibit the department from charging a fee for these permits, or 20
any other permits that allow for the operation of a vehicle on a 21
beach for purposes of fishing, when the permits are issued to a New 22
Jersey resident who is a veteran, active duty member of the Armed 23
Forces of the United States, former or current member of the New 24
Jersey National Guard or Reserve, or volunteer emergency worker. 25
Under the bill, a “volunteer emergency worker” is defined to 26
mean an unpaid volunteer who serves on an active basis as a 27
member of an emergency service organization. “Emergency service 28
organization” is defined in the bill to mean a fire or first aid 29
organization, whether organized as a volunteer or part-paid fire 30
company, fire department, or fire district, or duly incorporated 31
volunteer first