Provides free or reduced fee beach access to certain New Jersey National Guard members.

S3441

SENATE, No. 3441

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 9, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JAMES BEACH

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

SYNOPSIS

���� Provides free or reduced fee beach access to certain
New Jersey National Guard members.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
providing free or reduced fee beach access to certain
New Jersey National Guard members 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)�� persons who have
served in the New Jersey National Guard and who were discharged or released
therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.

���� �c.��� A municipality
providing for no fees or reduced fees pursuant to paragraph (3), (4), (5),
[
or
]
(6)
, or (7)

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)
, or (7)

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 adds persons who
have served in the New Jersey National Guard and who were discharged or
released under conditions other than dishonorable, to the list of persons
eligible to receive free or reduced beach access granted by a shore
municipality.�

���� Current law permits shore
municipalities, by ordinance, to provide free or reduced fee beach access to
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.� This bill permits a shore municipality to provide
free or reduced fee beach access to any person who has served in the New Jersey
National Guard and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions
other than dishonorable.