An Act To Provide Free Admission to State Parks to All Maine Veterans

Emergency preamble. Whereas,  acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and

Whereas,  this legislation needs to take effect before the expiration of the 90-day period in order to be in effect for the upcoming summer season; and

Whereas,  in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §1819-A,  as amended by PL 2009, c. 220, §1, is further amended to read:

§ 1819-A. Day use passes for certain veterans

Notwithstanding section 1819, the commissioner shall enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management for the issuance of a free day use pass to state parks and historic sites to each veteran determined by the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management to meet the criteria established in Title 37-B, section 6. The pass entitles the holder, and the holder's spouse and children when accompanied by the holder, to admission free of charge to all state parks and historic sites for the period described in Title 37-B, section 6. This section is repealed June 30, 2015.

Sec. 2. 37-B MRSA §6, sub-§1, ¶A,  as enacted by PL 2005, c. 268, §3, is amended to read:

Sec. 3. 37-B MRSA §6, sub-§1, ¶B,  as enacted by PL 2005, c. 268, §3, is amended to read:

Sec. 4. 37-B MRSA §6, sub-§1, ¶C,  as amended by PL 2009, c. 220, §3 and affected by §5, is repealed.

Sec. 5. 37-B MRSA §6, sub-§4,  as amended by PL 2009, c. 220, §3 and affected by §5, is repealed.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.

SUMMARY

This bill provides for the issuance of a free day use pass to state parks and historic sites to a veteran who is a resident of this State and who received an honorable discharge or general discharge under honorable conditions. It removes the requirement that a veteran must have served for a minimum of 3 continuous months outside the United States between October 1, 2001 and January 1, 2015 either on an operational mission for which members of the reserve were ordered to active duty or during a period of war declared by the United States Congress or a period of national emergency declared by the President of the United States or Congress. It also removes language that repeals on June 30, 2015 the sections of the law that provide day use passes to veterans.