Provides free admission to State parks, forests, and beaches for certain veterans and military personnel.

A107

ASSEMBLY, No. 107

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman AL BARLAS

District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)

Assemblyman� KEVIN P. EGAN

District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Karabinchak, Assemblywoman Flynn and
Assemblyman Scharfenberger

SYNOPSIS

���� Provides free admission to State parks, forests, and
beaches for certain veterans and military personnel.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

concerning free admission to State parks,
forests, and beaches for certain veterans and military personnel, and amending
P.L.1983, c.324 and P.L.2007, c.275.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 12 of P.L.1983,
c.324 (C.13:1L-12) is amended to read as follows:

���� 12.�
a.
The department
shall not charge an admission fee for entrance into a State park or forest
or
a State-owned beach
by
:

����
(1)
�� any resident of
the State
[
of
]

who:

����
(a)�� is
62 or more
years of age
[
or
who
]

;

����
(b)
�� is totally
disabled
[
or
who
]

;

����
(c)
�� is an active
member of the New Jersey National Guard who has completed Initial Active Duty
Training
; or

����
(d)�� is a veteran; or

����
(2)�� any person who is in
active military service in any of the Armed Forces of the United States, or
reserves component thereof, and

����
(a)�� is a resident of the
State; or

����
(b)�� is not a resident of
the State but is stationed in New Jersey.�

����
b
.��� The department
shall prescribe by regulation the types of evidence that may be used to qualify
persons for the benefits of this
[
subsection
]

section
.�

����
c.
���� As used in this
section
[
,
]

:

���� "Initial Active Duty
Training" means Basic Military Training, for members of the New Jersey Air
National Guard, and Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training, for
members of the New Jersey Army National Guard
; and

����
"Veteran" means
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
.

(cf: P.L.1993, c.304, s.1)

���� 2.��� Section 1 of P.L.2007,
c.275 (C.13:1L-12.1) is amended to read as follows:

���� 1.��� a.� 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.

���� b.��� As used in this section
[
:

���� "Veteran" means any
resident of the State who has been honorably discharged or released under
honorable circumstances from active service in any branch of the armed forces
of the United States, 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'
]
, �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.2017, c.175, s.3)

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill would amend current
law to provide free admission to State parks, forests, and beaches for certain
veterans and military personnel.

����� Specifically, the bill would
provide free admission to veterans who are residents of the State, and to any
person who is in active military service in any of the Armed Forces of the
United States, including the reserves, who is a State resident or stationed in
New Jersey, regardless of their residency status. Current law already provides
free admission to State residents who are active members of the National Guard,
totally disabled, or 62 or more years of age.