Directs the Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to provide Empire Passports to the families of reservists and members of the National Guard, whose qualified service commenced on or after September eleventh, two thousand and one.

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S3387-2013 Actions

• Feb 1, 2013: REFERRED TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS AND RECREATION

S3387-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S3387

TITLE  OF BILL:  An act in relation to directing the Commissioner of the
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to provide  Empire
Passports  to  the  families  of  reservists and members of the National
Guard, whose qualified service commenced on or after September eleventh,
two thousand one

PURPOSE:  To honor reservists and members of the National Guard who have
fought, and continue to fight, against terrorism, by providing them with
an Empire Passport to  enjoy  the  State's  parks,  beaches,  and  other
natural resources free of charge.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:  Section 1 is new legislation.

Section 2 contains the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:  The Empire Passport Program allowed reservists and their
families  to  apply for one free Empire Passport allowing free admission
to all state parks and beaches. On March 25, 2011, a change was  enacted
to  the program on the qualification. Now, the benefit is only available
during the time in which a service member is deployed to active duty.  A
copy of the orders calling the soldier to active duty  is  required  for
submission  of  the  application.  The  Passport can then be used by the
soldier once he returns home or by his or her immediate family.

Executive Order 125, issued May 22, 1989, which was expanded by Governor
Pataki on March 24, 2003, directing State Officials to ensure  that  the
Appropriate  Protections  and  Benefits  are  extended to Members of the
Reserve Armed Forces of the United States and the Organized  Militia  of
New York State, was continued under Executive Order 2 of Governor Andrew
M. Cuomo.

According  to the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation,
the reasoning behind the requirement change was to update the policy  to
more accurately reflect the Executive Order governing the program.

This  interpretation  more  closely reflects our states' economic condi-
tion, than the original intent of the order: to provide Empire Passports
to the families of reservists and members of the National Guard to allow
the families of our military  personnel  to  enjoy  the  State's  parks,
beaches  and other natural resources free of charge, because these brave
men and women have been, and will continue to be, called to active  duty
to fight the ongoing war on terrorism and the armed conflict with Iraq.

This  legislation  would  restore the previous qualification standard of
eligibility for the Empire Passport Program, in reflection of the Execu-
tive Order created to extend the  Patriot  Plan  Benefits  to  those  of
service to our nation after 9/11.

LEGISLATIVE  HISTORY:    2012  S.7186 Cultural Affairs Committee/2011-12
A.8686 Tourism Committee.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Immediate.

S3387-2013 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    3387

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              February 1, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  GRIFFO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism,
    Parks and Recreation

  AN ACT in relation to directing the Commissioner of the Office of Parks,
    Recreation and Historic Preservation to provide  Empire  Passports  to
    the  families  of  reservists and members of the National Guard, whose
    qualified service commenced on or after September eleventh, two  thou-
    sand one

    THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section 1.  The Commissioner of the Office of  Parks,  Recreation  and
  Historic  Preservation shall promulgate rules and regulations to provide
  Empire Passports to the  families  of  reservists  and  members  of  the
  National  Guard, whose qualified service commenced on or after September
  eleventh, two thousand one,  to  allow  the  families  of  our  military
  personnel  to  enjoy  the  State's  parks,  beaches  and  other  natural
  resources free of charge.
    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.





   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD03366-01-3