Senate Bill S9474

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9474
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 15, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism,
   Parks and Recreation
 
 AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law,  in
   relation  to providing free use of state parks for members or citizens
   of state or federally recognized Native American nations

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 13.19 of the parks, recreation and historic preser-
 vation law, as amended by chapter 616 of the laws of 2023, subdivision 2
 as  amended  by  chapter  103 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read as
 follows:
   § 13.19 Free use  of  PARKS  AND  campsites.  1.  Notwithstanding  the
 provisions of any other law, any person who is blind, non-ambulatory, or
 an  amputee  [or],  any  veteran or member of a Gold Star family, OR ANY
 MEMBER OR CITIZEN OF A STATE OR  FEDERALLY  RECOGNIZED  NATIVE  AMERICAN
 NATION  shall be permitted to use any of the public campsites, parks and
 other public places of recreation in this state, upon the same terms and
 conditions as apply to the general public, but without  the  payment  of
 any fees or other charges for the use of such campsites, parks and other
 public places of recreation.
   2.  For  the purposes of this section (a) "veteran" shall mean a resi-
 dent of this state who is: (i) a veteran as  such  term  is  defined  in
 section  one  of  the  veterans'  services law; or (ii) a person who has
 served on active duty for the state as a member of the  state  organized
 militia  as  defined  in subdivision nine of section one of the military
 law and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions  other
 than  dishonorable;  or  (iii) a person who has served on active duty in
 the uniformed services of the United States or on active  duty  for  the
 state  as  a member of the organized militia and has a qualifying condi-
 tion, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law,  and  has
 received  a  discharge  other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such
 service, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section  one  of
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11511-03-4
              

 S. 9474                             2
 
 the  veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than bad
 conduct or dishonorable from such service; and
   (b) "member of a Gold Star family" shall mean a resident of this state
 who is a gold star parent as defined in section twenty-six of the veter-
 ans'  services  law,  the spouse or domestic partner, or the biological,
 step, or legally adopted minor child of a veteran whose death  qualified
 the parent for an annuity.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
 this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
 on or before such effective date.