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Senate Bill S4708

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Grants free access to state parks for firefighters

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Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation Committee

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2025-S4708 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation
Law Section:
Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law
Laws Affected:
Add §13.12, Pks & Rec L

2025-S4708 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Grants free access to state parks for firefighters upon showing a sufficient method of identification, as designated by the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation or other state agency having jurisdiction.

2025-S4708 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S4708 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4708
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 11, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  O'MARA -- 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 granting free access to state parks for firefighters

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The parks, recreation  and  historic  preservation  law  is
 amended by adding a new section 13.12 to read as follows:
   §  13.12  FIREFIGHTER  ACCESS  TO  STATE PARKS. 1. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY
 OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, THE OFFICE OR OTHER STATE AGENCY  HAVING  JURIS-
 DICTION  OF  A STATE PARK SHALL ALLOW FREE ACCESS TO SUCH STATE PARK FOR
 ALL FIREFIGHTERS. PROVISION OF ANY METHOD OF  IDENTIFICATION  DESIGNATED
 BY  THE  OFFICE  OR  OTHER  STATE AGENCY HAVING JURISDICTION PURSUANT TO
 SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE SUFFICIENT TO GRANT THE HOLD-
 ER OF SUCH METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION FREE ACCESS TO SUCH STATE PARK.
   2. THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL  NOT  APPLY
 TO  THE  OWNER  OR  OPERATOR  OF  AN  OMNIBUS  OPERATED FOR A COMMERCIAL
 PURPOSE.
   3. THE OFFICE OR OTHER STATE AGENCY HAVING JURISDICTION SHALL  PROMUL-
 GATE  RULES  AND REGULATIONS DESIGNATING ADEQUATE METHODS OF IDENTIFICA-
 TION THAT MAY BE PROVIDED BY FIREFIGHTERS FOR FREE ACCESS TO STATE PARKS
 IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION, AND ANY OTHER  RULES
 AND  REGULATIONS AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
 SECTION.
   4. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION,  THE  TERM  "FIREFIGHTERS"  SHALL
 MEAN  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTERS, AS DEFINED BY SECTION THREE OF THE VOLUN-
 TEER FIREFIGHTERS' BENEFIT LAW, AND PAID FIREFIGHTERS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09122-02-5

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