STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4344
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. MORINELLO, BRABENEC, DeSTEFANO, MILLER, HAWLEY,
DiPIETRO, TAGUE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Tourism,
Parks, Arts and Sports Development
AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in
relation to providing free use of state parks for volunteer firefight-
ers and volunteer ambulance personnel
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 13.19 of the parks, recreation and historic preser-
2 vation law, as amended by chapter 616 of the laws of 2023, subdivision 2
3 as amended by chapter 103 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read as
4 follows:
5 § 13.19 Free use of parks and campsites. 1. Notwithstanding the
6 provisions of any other law, any person who is blind, non-ambulatory, or
7 an amputee or any veteran or member of a Gold Star family, or any person
8 who is a resident of New York state and serves as an active volunteer
9 firefighter, as defined in section two hundred fifteen of the general
10 municipal law, or as an enrolled member of a volunteer ambulance service
11 pursuant to article thirty of the public health law, shall be permitted
12 to use any of the public campsites, parks and other public places of
13 recreation in this state, upon the same terms and conditions as apply to
14 the general public, but without the payment of any fees or other charges
15 for the use of such campsites, parks and other public places of recre-
16 ation.
17 2. For the purposes of this section (a) "veteran" shall mean a resi-
18 dent of this state who is: (i) a veteran as such term is defined in
19 section one of the veterans' services law; or (ii) a person who has
20 served on active duty for the state as a member of the state organized
21 militia as defined in subdivision nine of section one of the military
22 law and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other
23 than dishonorable; or (iii) a person who has served on active duty in
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01637-01-5
A. 4344 2
1 the uniformed services of the United States or on active duty for the
2 state as a member of the organized militia and has a qualifying condi-
3 tion, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and has
4 received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such
5 service, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section one of
6 the veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than bad
7 conduct or dishonorable from such service; and
8 (b) "member of a Gold Star family" shall mean a resident of this state
9 who is a gold star parent as defined in section twenty-six of the veter-
10 ans' services law, the spouse or domestic partner, or the biological,
11 step, or legally adopted minor child of a veteran whose death qualified
12 the parent for an annuity.
13 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
14 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
15 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
16 tation of this act on its effective date is authorized and directed to
17 be made and completed on or before such effective date.
