Exempts disabled veterans from certain fees at State parks and forests.

A1179

ASSEMBLY, No. 1179

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman JOHN DIMAIO

District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren)

Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER

District 28 (Essex and Union)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblymen DeAngelo, Peterson, Webber, Rumpf, Coughlin,
DePhillips, Barlas and Scharfenberger

SYNOPSIS

���� Exempts disabled veterans from certain fees at State
parks and forests.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act
concerning State park and forest fees and amending
P.L.1983, c.324.

����
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 by
any resident of the State
[
of
]

who is:

����
(1)
�� 62 or more years
of age
[
or
who is
]

;

����
(2)
�� totally disabled
[
or who is
]

;

����
(3)�� a disabled veteran;
or

����
(4)
�� an active member
of the New Jersey National Guard who has completed Initial Active Duty
Training.

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

����
b.��� In addition to an
admission fee for entrance into a State park, the department shall not charge a
disabled veteran a fee to access a State park beach by motor vehicle in order
to fish thereat, including any fee for a mobile sportfishing vehicle permit.

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

:

����
"Disabled
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 and who has been declared by the United
States Department of Veterans Affairs, or its successor, to have a
service-connected disability of any degree; and

���� "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.

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

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill would provide free
admission to State parks and forests to disabled veterans residing in New
Jersey who have been honorably discharged or released under honorable
circumstances from active service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the
United States and who have been declared by the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs, or its successor, to have a service-connected disability of
any degree.� This bill would also exempt such disabled veterans from any fees
for accessing State park beaches by motor vehicle in order to fish there,
including fees for mobile sportfishing vehicle permits.� State law currently
only provides free admission to State parks and forests to New Jersey residents
who are 62 or more years of age, totally disabled, or active members of the New
Jersey National Guard who have completed Initial Active Duty Training, and
current law does not specifically exempt disabled veterans from fees for motor
vehicle access to State park beaches to fish.� This bill would extend free State
park and forest admission, as well as free motor vehicle access to State park
beaches to fish, to all veterans who have incurred a service-connected
disability, regardless of the degree of disability.