Permits municipalities to charge reduced or no beach fee for children ages 12 to 17; revises law concerning beach fees for veterans.

A4648

ASSEMBLY, No. 4648

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� VICTORIA A. FLYNN

District 13 (Monmouth)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Fantasia and Assemblyman Scharfenberger

SYNOPSIS

���� Permits municipalities to charge reduced or no beach
fee for children ages 12 to 17; revises law concerning beach fees for veterans.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning
reduced beach fees and amending
P.L.1955, c.49.

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

���� 1.��� Section 1 of P.L.1955,
c.49 (C.40:61-22.20) is amended to read as follows:

���� 1.� a.� The governing body of
any municipality bordering on the Atlantic Ocean, tidal water bays or rivers
which owns or shall acquire, by any deed of dedication or otherwise, lands
bordering on the ocean, tidal water bays or rivers, or easement rights therein,
for a place of resort for public health and recreation and for other public
purposes shall have the exclusive control, government and care thereof and of
any boardwalk, bathing and recreational facilities, safeguards and equipment,
now or hereafter constructed or provided thereon, and may, by ordinance, make
and enforce rules and regulations for the government and policing of such
lands, boardwalk, bathing facilities, safeguards and equipment; provided, that
such power of control, government, care and policing shall not be construed in
any manner to exclude or interfere with the operation of any State law or
authority with respect to such lands, property and facilities.� Any such
municipality may, in order to provide funds to improve, maintain and police the
same and to protect the same from erosion, encroachment and damage by sea or
otherwise, and to provide facilities and safeguards for public bathing and
recreation, including the employment of lifeguards, by ordinance, make and
enforce rules and regulations for the government, use, maintenance and policing
thereof and provide for the charging and collecting of reasonable fees for the
registration of persons using said lands and bathing facilities, for access to
the beach and bathing and recreational grounds so provided and for the use of
the bathing and recreational facilities, but no such fees shall be charged or
collected from children under the age of 12 years.

���� b.��� A municipality may by
ordinance provide that no fees, or reduced fees, shall be charged to:

���� (1)�� persons 65 or more years
of age;

���� (2)�� persons who meet the
disability criteria for disability benefits under Title II of the federal
Social Security Act

(42 U.S.C. s.401 et seq.);

���� (3)�� persons in active
military service in any of the Armed Forces of the United States and to their
spouse or dependent children over the age of 12 years;

���� (4)�� persons who are active
members of the New Jersey National Guard who have completed Initial Active Duty
Training and to their spouse or dependent children over the age of 12 years.�
As used in this paragraph, "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;

���� (5)�� persons who have served
in any of the Armed Forces of the United States and who were discharged or
released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable
[
and who either
have served at least 90 days in active duty or have been discharged or released
from active duty by reason of a service-incurred injury or disability. The
Adjutant General of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs
shall promulgate rules and regulations pertaining to veteran eligibility under
this paragraph; and
]

;

���� (6)�� persons 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
; and

����
(7)�� children between the
ages of 12 and 17 years
.

���� c.���� A municipality
providing for no fees or reduced fees pursuant to paragraph (3), (4), (5), or
(6) of subsection b. of this section shall track, in a manner deemed
appropriate by the governing body of the municipality, the number of persons
who qualify under the provisions of those paragraphs.

���� d.��� A person who qualifies
for free access to beaches and bathing and recreational grounds and free use of
bathing and recreational facilities pursuant to paragraph (3), (4), (5), or (6)
of subsection b. of this section may, in lieu of obtaining and presenting a
municipal beach tag or similar admission pass to gain such access and use,
present a DD-214, DD-215, or DD-256 form as issued by the federal government,
NGB-22 or other approved separation forms as outlined by all branches of the
Armed Forces, a county-issued veteran identification card pursuant to P.L.2012,
c.30 (40A:9-78.1 et seq.), a veteran identification card as issued by the
United States Department of Veterans Affairs under the "Veterans
Identification Card Act of 2015," (38 U.S.C. 5706,) or similar document,
or State driver's license or identification card indicating that the holder is
a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States or a Gold Star Family
member.

���� e.���� A municipality that
issues a permit to operate a motorized vehicle on a beach shall not charge a
disabled veteran a fee to obtain, replace, or renew the permit.

���� For purposes of 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.

(cf: P.L.2019, c.500, s.7)

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill would allow a
municipality, by ordinance, to charge no fee or a reduced beach fee to children
between the ages of 12 and 17.� This bill would also provide that a
municipality, by ordinance, may charge no fee or a reduced beach fee to
honorably discharged veterans, regardless of length of active duty or
disability.

���� Under current law, a
municipality, by ordinance, may charge no fee or a reduced fee to:� (1) persons
65 or more years of age; (2) persons who meet the disability criteria for
disability benefits under Title II of the federal Social Security Act; (3) persons
in active military service in any of the Armed Forces of the United States and
their spouse and dependent children over the age of 12 years; (4) persons who
are active members of the New Jersey National Guard who have completed Initial
Active Duty Training and their spouse and dependent children over the age of 12
years; (5) persons who have served in any of the Armed Forces of the United
States and who were discharged or released therefrom under conditions other
than dishonorable and who either have served at least 90 days in active duty or
have been discharged or released from active duty by reason of a
service-incurred injury or disability; and (6) persons holding a driver's
license or identification card with a Gold Star Family designation.

���� This bill would expand the
list of individuals who could receive no fee or a reduced beach fee to children
between the ages of 12 and 17.� In addition, the bill would delete language in
current law limiting the exemption and reduced fee to veterans who have either
served at least 90 days in active duty or have been discharged or released from
active duty by reason of a service-incurred injury or disability.