NY State Senate Bill 2025-S4528

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 28, 2025	reported and committed to finance
Feb 06, 2025	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs

Votes

- May 28, 2025 - Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee Vote
  S4528
  
  9
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee Vote: May 28, 2025
      
      aye (9)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Ashby
      
      Baskin
      
      Harckham
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Serrano
      
      Stec
      
      Weik

2025-S4528 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: Veterans' Service Law
Laws Affected:: Add §29-c, Veterans' Services L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S7300

2025-S4528 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that veterans who are NY residents may use state parks, recreation facilities and historic sites without fees.

2025-S4528 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4528

SPONSOR: SCARCELLA-SPANTON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to free use of
state parks, recreation facilities and historic sites by veterans

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would allow resident veterans of the state to use all parks,
recreational facilities, or historic sites, under the jurisdiction of
the state office of parks, recreation and historic preservation or the
department of environmental conservation, free of charge.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill would entitle all veterans who are residents of the state to
use all parks, recreational facilities, or historic sites under the
jurisdiction of the office of parks, recreation and historic preserva-
tion or the department of environmental conservation without the payment
of any fee. It would direct both of these agencies to establish a

program to promote the free use by veterans of the parks, recreational
facilities and historic sites under their jurisdiction and provide
information to veterans as to how they may take advantage of this bene-
fit. Finally, this bill would require the office of parks, recreation
and historic preservation and the department of environmental conserva-
tion to promulgate rules and regulations to administer free access for
veterans to state parks, parks, recreational facilities, or historic
sites in consultation with the department of veterans' services.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Under current law, free use of state recreational facilities is limited
to campsites and only available to veterans who have received an automo-
bile allowance from the federal government. This bill expands the bene-
fit of free use to parks, recreational facilities and historic sites to
all the state's veterans.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024; Held in Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding the
date on which 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 an effective date.

2025-S4528 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4528
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on  Veterans,  Home-
   land Security and Military Affairs
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to free use of
   state parks, recreation facilities and historic sites by veterans

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  veterans'  services  law  is amended by adding a new
 section 29-c to read as follows:
   § 29-C. FREE USE OF STATE PARKS, RECREATION  FACILITIES  AND  HISTORIC
 SITES  BY  VETERANS. 1. VETERANS, WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF THIS STATE, SHALL
 BE ENTITLED TO THE USE OF ANY PARK,  RECREATION  FACILITY  AND  HISTORIC
 SITE  UNDER  THE  JURISDICTION  OF  THE  OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION AND
 HISTORIC PRESERVATION OR THE DEPARTMENT  OF  ENVIRONMENTAL  CONSERVATION
 UPON THE SAME TERMS AS THE PUBLIC, BUT WITHOUT THE PAYMENT OF ANY FEE OR
 OTHER  CHARGES FOR USE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PARKING FEES, CAMP-
 ING FEES AND ENTRANCE FEES.
   2. THE OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION  AND  THE
 DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION SHALL, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE
 DEPARTMENT,  DEVELOP  A  PROGRAM  TO  PROMOTE  AND  PROVIDE  INFORMATION
 PERTAINING TO THE BENEFITS PROVIDED UNDER THIS SECTION, WHICH AT A MINI-
 MUM SHALL INCLUDE PROVIDING INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITES OF  THE  DEPART-
 MENT,  THE OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND THE
 DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AS TO  HOW  VETERANS,  WHO  ARE
 RESIDENTS OF THIS STATE, MAY ACCESS AND USE THE PARKS, RECREATION FACIL-
 ITIES  AND  HISTORIC  SITES DESCRIBED IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION
 FREE OF CHARGE.
   3. THE OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION  AND  THE
 DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION SHALL, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE
 DEPARTMENT,  PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS TO ADMINISTER THE BENEFITS
 PROVIDED FOR UNDER THIS SECTION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08331-01-5

 S. 4528                             2
 
   4. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION THE TERM "VETERAN" SHALL HAVE THE SAME
 MEANING AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF THIS ARTICLE AND SHALL
 ALSO INCLUDE ANY VETERAN WHO HAS A QUALIFYING CONDITION  AS  DEFINED  IN
 SECTION  ONE OF THIS ARTICLE AND HAS RECEIVED A DISCHARGE OTHER THAN BAD
 CONDUCT  OR  DISHONORABLE  OR IS A DISCHARGED LGBT VETERAN AS DEFINED IN
 SECTION ONE OF THIS ARTICLE, AND HAS RECEIVED A DISCHARGE OTHER THAN BAD
 CONDUCT OR DISHONORABLE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next  succeeding
 the date on which 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.

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Senate Bill S4528

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

May 28, 2025 - Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee Vote

Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee Vote: May 28, 2025

2025-S4528 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S4528 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S4528 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S4528 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S4528

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Sponsored By

Jessica Scarcella-Spanton

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

2025-S4528 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S4528 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S4528 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S4528 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments