Bill Text - SB358 (2012)

Expanding eligibility for free admission to the state park system to certain members and their families and retired members of the armed forces.


Revision: Feb. 23, 2012, midnight

SB 358-FN – AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

02/08/12 0427s

2012 SESSION

12-2925

09/04

SENATE BILL 358-FN

AN ACT expanding eligibility for free admission to the state park system to certain members and their families and retired members of the armed forces.

SPONSORS: Sen. Sanborn, Dist 7; Sen. Lambert, Dist 13; Sen. Barnes, Jr., Dist 17; Sen. Boutin, Dist 16; Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Forsythe, Dist 4; Sen. Gallus, Dist 1; Sen. Groen, Dist 6; Sen. Luther, Dist 12; Sen. Morse, Dist 22; Sen. Odell, Dist 8; Sen. White, Dist 9; Rep. Bettencourt, Rock 4; Rep. O'Brien, Hills 4; Rep. Baldasaro, Rock 3

COMMITTEE: Finance

ANALYSIS

This bill expands eligibility for free admission to the state park system to certain members and their families and retired members of the armed forces.

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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

02/08/12 0427s

12-2925

09/04

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twelve

AN ACT expanding eligibility for free admission to the state park system to certain members and their families and retired members of the armed forces.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Free Admission to State Park System for Certain Active and Retired Members of the Armed Forces. Amend RSA 216-A:3-g, V(a)-(c) to read as follows:

(a) Any active member of [a federally recognized unit of the New Hampshire national guard] the armed forces who is a legal resident of this state, and who meets the minimum requirements for satisfactory membership, as defined in [the United States Department of the Army and the United States Department of the Air Force] federal regulations[, and is serving in pay grades E1 through E6] shall not be charged a fee for admission to the state park system. This section shall apply to members of the Active Guard and Reserve program in the New Hampshire national guard.

(b) Any retired member of the armed forces who was honorably discharged and who is a New Hampshire [national guard member] resident [who retired in pay grade E6 or below] shall not be charged a fee for day-use admission to the state park system.

(c) Any active member of the armed forces who is home on leave from active duty shall not be charged an admission fee to the state park system during the time of leave for the member, the member’s spouse, and the member’s children.

(d) Any fees for the use of enterprise activities as described in paragraph II of this section shall be charged.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

LBAO

12-2925

Amended 02/21/12

SB 358 FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT expanding eligibility for free admission to the state park system to certain members and their families and retired members of the armed forces.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Department of Resources and Economic Development states this bill, as amended by the Senate (Amendment #2012-0427s), will decrease state restricted revenue by an indeterminable amount in FY 2012 and each year thereafter. There is no fiscal impact on state, county and local expenditures, or county and local revenue.

METHODOLOGY:

    The Department of Resources and Economic Development states this bill clarifies the fees charged to members of the US armed forces for entrance to state parks. The Department states it is not able to determine the number of active, retired, or honorable discharged members of the US uniformed services, 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 by how much revenue would decrease. The Department does know that 2,277 NH National Guard and NH disabled vets received free admission to NH parks through September 29, 2011. The Department states, per the FY 2010 Department of Affairs annual benefits report, that there are 127,964 veterans in NH. The Department assumes a veteran is retired from active service. The Department estimates between 9,207 to 73,579 veterans in NH would be below the age of 65 and eligible for free admission to the state parks. Based on this estimate, state park fund revenue may decrease between $36,828 (9,207 veterans * $4 park day use fee) to $294,316 (73,579 veterans * $4 park day use fee).