State parks and sites-fees.

ORIGINAL
House
ENGROSSED
Bill No
.
HB0030

ENROLLED ACT NO. 12,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2017 General Session

AN ACT relating to state parks, historic sites, archeological sites and recreation areas; authorizing the department of state parks and cultural resources to designate parks, sites and areas as fee areas; modifying fees for the use of parks, sites and areas; authorizing voluntary fees; modifying provision related to the use of fee income as specified; removing redundant language; and providing for effective dates.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 36
‑
4
‑
121
(
a)(intro)
,
by creating new paragraphs (
xvi
i) through (x
xvi
), (b), (c),
(h),
(j),
(k), (o) and by creating new subsections (r) and (s)
is amended to read:

36
‑
4
‑
121
.

Permits to use state parks, recreation areas and historic sites.

(a)

The department of state parks and cultural resources shall

offer for sale permits that allow use of
the

state parks, recreation areas, archeological sites and historic sites
. Daily use permits shall be required at Glendo, Guernsey, Curt Gowdy, Edness Kimball Wilkins, Buffalo Bill, Boysen, Seminoe and Keyhole state parks and Fort Bridger, South Pass City, Trail End, Fort Fetterman and Fort Phil Kearney state historic sites, and Hawk Springs state recreation area. The department may establish voluntary pay stations at Bear River and Hot Springs state parks to allow users of those parks to make voluntary contributions for the use of the state parks. Persons who enter or use Bear River or Hot Springs state park without paying daily use fees shall not be subject to the penalties provided for in subsection (j) of this section. Overnight
camping permits shall be required at Boysen, Buffalo Bill, Curt Gowdy, Glendo, Guernsey, Keyhole, Seminoe and Sinks Canyon state parks, Connor Battlefield state historic site, Medicine Lodge state archeological site and Hawk Springs state recreation area by the department during the entire calendar year
as designated by the department with the approval of the
Wyoming parks and cultural resources
commission
.
Permits may be subject to per person, per vehicle or time restrictions or any other restriction the
director of the department
deems
appropriate
. The director may
waive any
permit
fee
imposed pursuant to
this section
, offer discounts
or offer
at
no charge complimentary permits or gift certificates for permits authorized by this section.

E
xcept
for the lifetime permit issued without cost pursuant to
as provided in

subsection (n) of this section, the cost of the permits authorized under this section shall be

approved by the commission and
set in an amount not to exceed the foll
owing
:

(xvii)

Resident annual daily use permit

..
.................................................
.

$64.00

(
xviii
)

Nonresident annual daily use permit

..
............................................
.....
.

$96.00

(
xix
)

Resident daily use fee...............$8.00

(
xx
)

Nonresident daily use fee............$12.00

(
xxi
)

Resident overnight camping permit
..
$12.00

(
xxii
)

Nonresident overnight camping permit...............................................$18.00

(
xxi
ii
)

Annual resident overnight camping permit...............................................$96.00

(xx
i
v)

Per person daily use bus fee for guided tours,
which shall not be charged to persons under the age of eighteen (18) years................................$5.00

(x
xv
)

Daily use lodge p
ermit
.
...........$300.00

(x
xvi
)

Daily use
group picni
c shelter and adjacent ground permit
..............................$150.00

(b)

Any holder of an annual daily use permit or an annual resident overnight camping permit may obtain additional vehicle annual daily use permits or additional vehicle annual overnight camping permits from

T
he department or any selling agent of the department
may issue additional vehicle annual daily use permits or additional vehicle annual overnight camping permits

upon payment of
the

a
fee
prescribed under paragraph (a)(vii) or (viii) of this section, as applicable, and upon submission of proof satisfactory to the department that an original annual permit was purchased and that the additional vehicle is registered in the same name as the vehicle for which the original annual permit is obtained, or that the additional vehicle is operated by the person who purchased the original annual permit or a member of his family under duly granted authority from his employer. The director shall determine the validity of the authority of an applicant to operate an employer
‑
owned vehicle prior to issuance of an additional vehicle permit for that vehicle under this section. Any vehicle in tow by another vehicle owned by the same person shall be considered a single vehicle for purposes of this section and only a single annual bucking horse daily use permit shall be required for entrance at
state parks and a single annual overnight camping permit shall be required for overnight camping at state parks

in an amount not
to
exceed fifty percent (50%) of the cost of the original annual permit
.

(c)

If an annual daily use permit or an annual resident overnight camping permit is lost, mutilated or destroyed, the holder of the permit may obtain a duplicate annual permit from

T
he department or any selling agent of the department
permit

may issue duplicate annual daily use permits or annual resident overnight camping permits

upon
the holder
of the permit

filing an affidavit showing the loss, mutilation or destruction of the original permit and upon payment of
the

a
fee
imposed under paragraph (a)(ix) or (x) of this section, as applicable

in an amount not to exceed twenty
‑
five percent (
25
%) of the cost of the original annual permit
.

(h)

The funds received by the department from the sale of the permits shall be deposited into an account within the special revenue fund, hereby created as the state parks account, and
, except as otherwise provided by this subsection,
may be expended by the department for capital construction projects, major maintenance, and site interpretation such as exhibits, signage and displays as approved by the legislature. Interest on funds in the account shall accrue to the account.
Not more than
twenty
‑
five percent (25%)
thirty percent (30%)
of the funds in the account in any fiscal year may
also
be expended, with legislative approval, for maintenance of outdoor recreation areas and facilities provided that no amount shall be expended for additional full
‑
time employees or increases in salaries or overtime pay for full
‑
time employees.

(j)

Any person usin
g state parks, recreation areas
, archeological sites

and historic sites and failing to obtain a permit
required
authorized
by this section and any person otherwise violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or both.

(k)

The department of state parks and cultural resources is authorized to contract with the town of Ranchester to implement a fee collection program at Connor Battlefield state historic site and to provide for park maintenance and operation. Notwithstanding subsection (h) of this section, fees collected
pursuant to paragraphs (a)(ii) and (v) of this section
for overnight camping at Connor Battlefield state historic site shall be deposited into a separate account and may be expended by the department pursuant to contracts entered into under this subsection.

(o)

The department is authorized to sponsor special events and to contract with groups sponsoring special events at state parks, recreation areas, archeological sites or historic sites. A special event fee may be charged
as provided in paragraph (a
)(
xiii) of this section

regardless of whether a daily use fee has been established by law
and in addition to any other fee
. All funds received from special events sponsored by the department shall be deposited in special events account. The funds deposited within the account are continuously appropriated to and may be expended by the department to conduct special events directly or pursuant to contracts entered under this subsection.

(r)

The department may establish methods whereby voluntary contributions
may be accepted in support of state parks, historic sites, archeological sites or recreation areas
. The department may suggest and solicit specific contribution amounts.

(s)

The department may
, with the approval of the commission,
charge an amenities fee in addition to any other fee
authorized
under this section for services designated by the commission as added amenities. Funds collected from the amenities fee authorized by this subsection shall be deposited in a
separate
account and are continuously appropriated to the department to pay the utility fees and maintenance costs for the additional amenities offered. The remaining funds collected from the amenities fee authorized by this subsection at the end of the fiscal year may be deposited in the state parks account and expended in
accordance with
subsection (h) of this section. Revenues and expenditures under this subsection for each of the immediately preceding two (2) fiscal years shall be reported within the department's biennial budget reques
t submitted under W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1013.

Section 2
.

W.S. 36
‑
4
‑
121(
a)(
i
) through (xv) is repealed.

Section 3
.

The
department
shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement this act by July 1, 201
7
.

Section
4
.

(a)

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective July 1, 201
7
.

(b)

Section
3
of this act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the
House
.

Chief Clerk

1