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HB0328 • 2026

Parks, Natural Areas Preservation

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 11, Chapter 3 and Title 58, relative to state park discounts for veterans.

Labor
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Slater, Haile
Last action
2025-04-09
Official status
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included terms and details that were not directly relevant or fully supported by the bill text, such as 'public welfare'.

Veteran Discounts at State Parks

This bill requires Tennessee state parks to offer veterans resident discounts similar to those given to state employees and adds a special year-round discount for severely disabled veterans.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the commissioner of Tennessee's Department of Environment and Conservation to provide discounts on activities, retail purchases, camping, and lodging at state parks to Tennessee residents who are veterans with the same frequency and rates as those given to state employees.
  • Adds a year-round discount of at least 50% for camping and overnight cabin stays for severely disabled veterans (100% permanent total disability) who live in Tennessee.
  • Requires veterans seeking discounts to provide proof of their veteran status and residency.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Tennessee residents who are veterans
  • The commissioner of the Department of Environment and Conservation

Terms To Know

Service-connected disability
A disability that is a result of military service.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Details about the availability and application process for the special discount are left to the commissioner's discretion.
  • The bill does not specify how discounts will be funded.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2025

  2. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/15/2025

  3. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee on 4/15/2025

  4. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  5. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  6. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  7. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  8. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  9. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 3/11/2025

  10. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  11. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  13. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  14. 2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 2/26/2025

  16. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee

  17. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee

  18. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  19. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  20. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  21. 2025-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  22. 2025-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 249
By Haile

HOUSE BILL 328
By Slater

HB0328
001809
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 11,
Chapter 3 and Title 58, relative to state park
discounts for veterans.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 11-3-121(b)(1), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:
(1)
(A) Subject to subdivision (b)(1)(B) and § 58-3-112, the commissioner
shall offer discounts for activities, retail purchases, camping, and lodging at state
parks to veterans who are Tennessee residents with the same frequency, and at
the same rates, as the discounts for activities, retail purchases, camping, and
lodging at state parks that are offered to state employees.
(B) In addition to the discounts required by subdivision (b)(1)(A), the
commissioner shall offer a year-round discount in the amount of no less than fifty
percent (50%) for camping and overnight cabin lodging fees at state parks to a
veteran who:
(i) Has a service-connected disability that is determined by the
veterans' administration to constitute a one hundred percent (100%)
permanent total disability; and
(ii) Is a resident of this state.
(C)

- 2 - 001809

(i) Each veteran must be required to show proof of veteran status,
as determined by the commissioner, and residence in this state prior to
being granted a discount offered pursuant to subdivision (b)(1)(A).
(ii) Certification from the veterans' administration indicating the
veteran's percentage of service-connected disability and proof of
residence in this state must be presented in order to receive the
discounted fee required by subdivision (b)(1)(B). The discount required
by subdivision (b)(1)(B) is subject to availability, as determined by the
commissioner, and only applies to reservations made within thirty (30)
days of the intended stay.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 11-3-121(b)(3), is amended by
deleting the subdivision.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 58-3-112, is amended by designating
the existing language as subsection (a) and adding the following as a new subsection:
(b) The requirements of subsection (a) are in addition to the discounts for
veterans required by § 11-3-121.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.