Revision: March 8, 2012, midnight
HB 1495-FN – AS INTRODUCED
2012 SESSION
01/03
HOUSE BILL 1495-FN
AN ACT establishing a Purple Heart Trail along U.S. Route 3 and relative to fees for state parks for members of the United States uniformed services.
SPONSORS: Rep. Jennifer Coffey, Merr 6; Rep. Baldasaro, Rock 3; Rep. Swinford, Belk 5; Rep. T. Smith, Merr 9; Rep. Merrick, Coos 2; Rep. K. Roberts, Ches 3; Rep. Theberge, Coos 4; Rep. Shurtleff, Merr 10; Rep. Tamburello, Rock 3; Rep. C. McGuire, Merr 8; Sen. Forsythe, Dist 4; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Lambert, Dist 13
COMMITTEE: Resources, Recreation and Development
This bill designates a Purple Heart Trail along U.S. Route 3 from the Massachusetts border to the Canadian border. This bill also clarifies the fees to be charged to members of the United States uniformed services for entrance to state parks.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
12-2283
01/03
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twelve
AN ACT establishing a Purple Heart Trail along U.S. Route 3 and relative to fees for state parks for members of the United States uniformed services.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Purple Heart Trail Extended. The portion of U.S. Route 3 from the Massachusetts border to the Canadian border is hereby designated as the Purple Heart Trail. The department of transportation shall place at least 200 appropriate markers indicating the designation of this portion of U.S. Route 3 as being the Purple Heart Trail. There shall be no maximum number of markers. The families of the veterans who are living and deceased who are holders of the Purple Heart medal may purchase such markers.
2 Fees for State Park System. RSA 216-A:3-g, V is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
V.(a) Any active member of a federally recognized unit of the United States uniformed services who is a legal resident of this state, and who meets the minimum requirements for satisfactory membership in a unit of the United States uniformed services shall not be charged a fee for admission to the state park system. For the purposes of this paragraph “uniformed services” means members of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, and all regular and reserve components thereof.
(b) Any New Hampshire resident who is retired and or honorably discharged from any branch of the United States uniformed services shall not be charged a fee for day-use admission to the state park system.
(c) Any New Hampshire resident who is an active duty member of a federally recognized unit of the United States uniformed services, and who meets the minimum requirements for satisfactory membership in a unit of the United States uniformed services, and his or her minor children and spouses, shall not be charged an admission fee for day use of any facility in the state park system.
(d) Any fees for the use of enterprise activities as described in paragraph II of this section shall be charged.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
LBAO
12-2283
Revised 11/29/11
HB 1495-FN - FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT establishing a Purple Heart Trail along U.S. Route 3 and relative to fees for state parks for members of the United States uniformed services.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Resources and Economic Development states this bill will decrease state restricted revenue by an indeterminable amount in FY 2012 and each year thereafter. The Department of Transportation states this bill will increase state highway fund expenditures by $22,500 in FY 2012, $9,000 in FY 2013, $4,500 in FY 2014, and each year thereafter. There is no fiscal impact on county and local revenue or expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED) and Department of Transportation state this bill clarifies the fees charged to members of the US armed forces for entrance to state parks and establishes the Purple Heart Trail along US Route 3. The Department of Resources and Economic Development states it is not able to determine the number of active, retired, or honorable discharged members of the US armed forces or the NH National Guard, who are residents of NH or their spouses and dependent children that would take advantage of the free admission to the state parks to determine how much revenue would decrease. DRED does know that 2,277 NH National Guard and NH disabled vets received free admission to NH parks through September 29, 2011.
The Department of Transportation states when it was involved with establishing the Purple Heart Trail along US Route 4, the NH Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart was responsible for the design and manufacture of the signs. The Department installed the signs at mutually agreed upon locations along the trail. The Department assumes the same process would be used to place signs for a Purple Heart Trail along US Route 3. The proposed legislation requires a minimum of 200 signs be installed with no upper limit. The Department assumes 300 signs will be installed at a cost of $150 per sign for installation (total cost: $45,000). The Department assumes approximately 50 percent of the signs would be installed in FY 2012, 20 percent would be installed in FY 2013, and 10 percent would be installed in FY 2014 through FY 2016. Based on this assumption, state highway fund expenditures will increase by $22,500 in FY 2012, $9,000 in FY 2013 and $4,500 in FY 2014 through FY 2016. In addition, a supervisor would need to contribute approximately 100 hours of time to coordinate where the signs would be installed. This cost would be absorbed by the Department.