New Jersey A 2368: Provides that certain veterans are entitled to free admission to, and free parking at, State parks and forests.

Bill Text

ASSEMBLY, No. 2368

STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CHRIS TULLY
District 38 (Bergen)

Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Quijano

SYNOPSIS
Provides that certain veterans are entitled to free admission to, and free
parking at, State parks and forests.

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

A2368 TULLY
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EXPLANATION – Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is
not enacted and is intended to be omitted in the law.

Matter underlined thus is new matter.

AN ACT concerning veterans’ admission to, and parking at, State 1
parks and forests, and amending P.L.1983, c.324 and P.L.2007, 2
c.275. 3
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BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 5
of New Jersey: 6
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1. Section 12 of P.L.1983, c.324 (C.13:1L-12) is amended to read 8
as follows: 9
12. a. (1) The department shall not charge an admission fee for 10
entrance into a State park or forest by any resident of the State [of] 11
who is 62 or more years of age [or who] , is totally disabled [or 12
who] , is an active member of the New Jersey National Guard who 13
has completed Initial Active Duty Training [.] , or is a veteran. 14
(2) The department shall not charge a fee to enable parking, at a 15
State park or forest, by any resident of the State who is a veteran. 16
The department shall set aside, for use by veterans, at no charge, a 17
minimum of two percent of the total number of parking spaces 18
available at each State park or forest, but in no case shall the 19
department set aside less than three parking spaces, at each State 20
park or forest, for such purposes. 21
(3) The department shall prescribe, by regulation, the types of 22
evidence that may be used to qualify persons for the benefits of this 23
subsection. 24
b. The department shall not charge a disabled veteran a fee to 25
obtain, replace, or renew a permit to operate a motorized vehicle on 26
a State park beach. 27
c. As used in this section : 28
"Disabled veteran" means any resident of the State who has been 29
honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances 30
from active service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United 31
States and who has been declared by the United States Department 32
of Veterans Affairs, or its successor, to have a service-connected 33
disability of any degree. 34
"Initial Active Duty Training" means Basic Military Training, 35
for members of the New Jersey Air National Guard, and Basic 36
Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training, for members 37
of the New Jersey Army National Guard. 38
"Veteran" means the same as the term is defined in section 1 of 39
P.L.2007, c.275 (C.13:1L-12.1). 40
(cf: P.L.2019, c.398, s.2) 41
42
2. Section 1 of P.L.2007, c.275 (C.13:1L-12.1) is amended to read 43
as follows: 44

A2368 TULLY
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1. a. (1) The department shall not charge an admission fee for 1
entrance into a State park or forest by any veteran [during an event 2
held by a veterans' organization] . In addition, the department shall 3
not charge a facilities fee of any kind to any veterans' organization 4
using a State park or forest for an event. 5
(2) The department shall not charge an admission fee or facilities 6
fee of any kind for entrance into a State park or forest by a person 7
holding a driver's license or identification card with a Gold Star 8
Family designation issued pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2013, c.165 9
(C.39:3-10f6) or section 2 of P.L.1980, c.47 (C.39:3-29.3), 10
respectively 11
b. As used in this section: 12
"Veteran" means any resident of the State now or hereafter who 13
has been discharged honorably or under general honorable conditions 14
in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, or a Reserve 15
component thereof, or the National Guard of this State or another state 16
as defined in [section 1 of P.L.1963, c.109 (C.38A:1-1)] 17
N.J.S.38A:1-1, or any honorably discharged member of the American 18
Merchant Marine who served during World War II and is declared by 19
the United States Department of Defense to be eligible for federal 20
veterans' benefits; and 21
"Veterans' organization" means the American Legion, Veterans of 22
Foreign Wars, or other veterans' organizations chartered under federal 23
law, or any service foundation of such an organization recognized in 24
its bylaws. 25
(cf: P.L.2019, c.500, s.1) 26
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3. This act shall take effect immediately. 28
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STATEMENT 31
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This bill would amend existing law in order to provide veterans, 33
who are residents of the State, with free admission to, and free 34
parking at, State parks and forests. The bill would also require the 35
Department of Environmental Protection to set aside, for use by 36
veterans, at no charge, a minimum of two percent of the total 37
number of parking spaces available at each State park or forest, but, 38
in no case, less than three parking spaces. Current law already 39
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