Provides free use of public campsites, parks and other public places of recreation in this state for members or citizens of state or federally recognized Native American nations.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A11431
SPONSOR: Rules (Schiavoni) TITLE OF BILL:
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
PURPOSE:
This legislation amends the parks, recreation, and historic preservation
law to allow any member or citizen of a state or federally recognized
Native American Nation to have free access to state parks and campsites.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: The legislation would amend section 13.19 of
the parks, recreation, and historic preservation law, as amended by
chapter 649 of the laws of 1977.
Section one amends the law by adding members or citizens of state and
federally recognized Native American Nations as among those who can
access free use of state parks and campsites.
Section two establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
This bill would include members or citizens of state and federally
recognized Native American Nations as among those who are able to access
New York State parks and campsites free of charge. Prior to European
colonization, the modern boundaries of New York State encompassed at
least fifteen Native American Nations. New York's parklands preserve the
natural state of lands as they have existed for millennia, making them
historically and culturally significant to the indigenous communities of
New York State.
The federal government allows free entrance for members or citizens of
American Indian Nations or traditionally associated groups to National
Parks for non-recreational activities, and the State of Minnesota allows
American Indians who are members or citizens of federally recognized
Nations within the state to access state parks and recreation areas free
of charge.
By providing free access to state parks and campsites to members or
citizens of Native American Nations, New York State is honoring the
connection of Native Americans to their ancestral lands.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024: S9474
2023: S7082 (Passed Senate)
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall become
law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
11431
IN ASSEMBLY
May 15, 2026
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Schiavoni)
-- 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 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:
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
8 member or citizen of a state or federally recognized Native American
9 nation shall be permitted to use any of the public campsites, parks and
10 other public places of recreation in this state, upon the same terms and
11 conditions as apply to the general public, but without the payment of
12 any fees or other charges for the use of such campsites, parks and other
13 public places of recreation.
14 2. For the purposes of this section (a) "veteran" shall mean a resi-
15 dent of this state who is: (i) a veteran as such term is defined in
16 section one of the veterans' services law; or (ii) a person who has
17 served on active duty for the state as a member of the state organized
18 militia as defined in subdivision nine of section one of the military
19 law and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other
20 than dishonorable; or (iii) a person who has served on active duty in
21 the uniformed services of the United States or on active duty for the
22 state as a member of the organized militia and has a qualifying condi-
23 tion, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and has
24 received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such
25 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.
LBD06940-01-5
A. 11431 2
1 the veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than bad
2 conduct or dishonorable from such service; and
3 (b) "member of a Gold Star family" shall mean a resident of this state
4 who is a gold star parent as defined in section twenty-six of the veter-
5 ans' services law, the spouse or domestic partner, or the biological,
6 step, or legally adopted minor child of a veteran whose death qualified
7 the parent for an annuity.
8 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
9 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
10 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
11 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
12 on or before such effective date.
