Bill Text: NJ A1200 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides free admission to State parks and forests, and certain historic sites and historic properties for certain veterans on Veterans Day.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [A1200 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A1200-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblywoman MICHELE MATSIKOUDIS
District 21 (Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Dunn
SYNOPSIS
Provides free admission to State parks and forests, and certain historic sites and historic properties for certain veterans on Veterans Day.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning free admission to State parks and forests and certain historic sites and historic properties in the State for certain veterans on Veterans Day, amending P.L.2007, c.275, and supplementing P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.) and Title 40 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2007, c.275 (C.13:1L-12.1) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. (1) The department shall not charge an admission fee for entrance into a State park or forest by any veteran during an event held by a veterans' organization. In addition, the department shall not charge a facilities fee of any kind to any veterans' organization using a State park or forest for an event.
(2) The department shall not charge an admission fee or facilities fee of any kind for entrance into a State park or forest by a person holding a driver's license or identification card with a Gold Star Family designation issued pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2013, c.165 (C.39:3-10f6) or section 2 of P.L.1980, c.47 (C.39:3-29.3), respectively.
(3) The department shall not charge an admission fee for entrance into a State park or forest by any veteran on November 11 or any other date that the State may designate for the celebration of Veterans Day.
b. As used in this section:
"Veteran" means any resident of the State now or hereafter who has been discharged honorably or under general honorable conditions in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, or a Reserve component thereof, or the National Guard of this State or another state as defined in section 1 of P.L.1963, c.109 (C.38A:1-1), or any honorably discharged member of the American Merchant Marine who served during World War II and is declared by the United States Department of Defense to be eligible for federal veterans' benefits; and
"Veterans' organization" means the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, or other veterans' organizations chartered under federal law, or any service foundation of such an organization recognized in its bylaws.
(cf: P.L.2019, c.500, s.1)
2. (New section) a. Notwithstanding any provision of Title 13 of the Revised Statutes, or any rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto, to the contrary, a local government unit or qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization shall not charge a veteran an admission fee to any historic property for which an admission fee is normally charged and was acquired or preserved for historic preservation purposes using constitutionally dedicated moneys in whole or in part, Green Acres bond act moneys in whole or in part, or constitutionally dedicated CBT moneys pursuant to P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.) in whole or in part, on November 11 or on any other date that the State may designate for the celebration of Veterans Day. The veteran may be required to provide proof of service and honorable discharge.
b. As used in this section, "veteran" means any resident of the State now or hereafter who has been discharged honorably or under general honorable conditions in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, or a Reserve component thereof, or the National Guard of this State or another state as defined in section 1 of P.L.1963, c.109 (C.38A:1-1), or any honorably discharged member of the American Merchant Marine who served during World War II and is declared by the United States Department of Defense to be eligible for federal veterans' benefits.
3. (New section) a. Notwithstanding any provision of Title 13 of the Revised Statutes, or any rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto, to the contrary, a historic site owned or operated by a county or municipality shall not charge a veteran an admission fee to the historic site on November 11 or on any other date that the State may designate for the celebration of Veterans Day.
b. As used in this section:
"Historic site" means any real property, man-made structure, natural object or configuration or any portion or group of the foregoing of historical, archeological, cultural, scenic or architectural significance.
"Veteran" means any resident of the State now or hereafter who has been discharged honorably or under general honorable conditions in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, or a Reserve component thereof, or the National Guard of this State or another state as defined in section 1 of P.L.1963, c.109 (C.38A:1-1), or any honorably discharged member of the American Merchant Marine who served during World War II and is declared by the United States Department of Defense to be eligible for federal veterans' benefits.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides free admission for veterans on November 11 or any other date that the State may designate for the celebration of Veterans Day to:
1) State parks and forests, which also includes State owned or leased historic sites;
2) historic properties acquired or preserved by a local government unit or qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization by using State funding; and
3) any historic site owned or operated by a county or a municipality.
The bill defines "veteran" as any resident of the State who has been honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active military service in any of the Armed Forces of the United States, or reserves component thereof, or any honorably discharged member of the American Merchant Marine who served during World War II and is declared by the United States Department of Defense to be eligible for federal veterans' benefits.
