Prohibits DEP from charging fee for resident mobile sportfishing vehicle permit to veterans, active military members, former or current members of the NJ National Guard or Reserve, or volunteer emergency workers.

A4873

ASSEMBLY, No. 4873

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 4, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� AURA K. DUNN

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Scharfenberger

SYNOPSIS

���� Prohibits DEP from charging fee for resident mobile
sportfishing vehicle permit to veterans, active military members, former or
current members of the NJ National Guard or Reserve, or volunteer emergency
workers.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning fees for mobile sportfishing vehicle
permits issued to residents of New Jersey who are veterans, active military
members, former or current members of the New Jersey National Guard or Reserve,
or volunteer emergency workers, and supplementing P.L.1983, c.324 (C.13:1L-1 et
seq.).

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

���� 1.��� a.� (1)� The department
shall not charge a fee for a mobile sportfishing vehicle permit, when issued to
a resident of New Jersey who is a veteran, active duty member of the Armed
Forces of the United States, former or current member of the New Jersey National
Guard or Reserve, or volunteer emergency worker, for a vehicle registered in
the name of the veteran; provided, however, no such person shall be eligible to
hold more than one free mobile sportfishing vehicle permit at any given time.

���� (2)�� The department shall
adopt, pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410
(C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations necessary to implement the
provisions of this act, including but not limited to, rules and regulations
prescribing the types of evidence that may be used to demonstrate a person is
eligible for the benefits of� paragraph (1) of this subsection.

���� b.��� Except as otherwise
provided in subsection a. of this section, a resident of New Jersey who is a
veteran, active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States, former or
current member of the New Jersey National Guard or Reserve, or volunteer emergency
worker who applies for a mobile sportfishing vehicle permit shall be subject to
the same laws, rules, and regulations applicable to other applicants for the
issuance of a mobile sportfishing vehicle permit.�

���� c.���� As used in this
section:

���� �Emergency service
organization� means a fire or first aid organization, whether organized as a
volunteer or part-paid fire company, fire department, or fire district, or duly
incorporated volunteer first aid and emergency or volunteer ambulance or rescue
squad association.

���� �Mobile sportfishing vehicle
permit� means a permit of any type, class, or duration which is made available
by the department to allow for the operation of a motor vehicle on a beach for
the purpose of fishing.

���� �Veteran� means a person 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.

���� �Volunteer emergency worker�
means an unpaid volunteer who serves on an active basis as a member of an
emergency service organization.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill would prohibit the
Department of Environmental Protection from charging any fees to a New
Jersey resident who is a veteran, active duty member of the Armed Forces of
the United States, former or current member of the New Jersey National Guard or
Reserve, or volunteer emergency worker when issuing a mobile sportfishing
vehicle permit to that person.�

���� The department currently
issues and charges fees for mobile sportfishing vehicle permits, which allow
for the operation of motor vehicles on fishing beaches at certain State parks,
subject to various safety requirements and other rules and regulations.� This
bill would prohibit the department from charging a fee for these permits, or
any other permits that allow for the operation of a vehicle on a beach for
purposes of fishing, when the permits are issued to a New Jersey resident who
is a veteran, active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States,
former or current member of the New Jersey National Guard or Reserve, or
volunteer emergency worker.

���� Under the bill, a �volunteer
emergency worker� is defined to mean an unpaid volunteer who serves on an
active basis as a member of an emergency service organization.� �Emergency
service organization� is defined in the bill to mean a fire or first aid
organization, whether organized as a volunteer or part-paid fire company, fire
department, or fire district, or duly incorporated volunteer first aid and
emergency or volunteer ambulance or rescue squad association.

���� A New Jersey resident who is a
veteran, active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States, former or
current member of the New Jersey National Guard or Reserve, or volunteer
emergency worker would be eligible to hold only one free mobile sportfishing
vehicle permit at any given time and would still remain subject to all other
laws, rules, and regulations applicable to the issuance of mobile sportfishing
vehicle permits.� The department would be required to adopt rules and
regulations necessary to implement the provisions of the bill, including but
not limited to, rules and regulations prescribing the types of evidence to be
used to demonstrate a person is eligible for a free mobile sportsfishing
vehicle permit under the provisions of the bill.

���� The State of Delaware provides
a similar free mobile sportfishing vehicle permit to volunteer emergency
workers.