| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to state parks; creating s. 258.0145, |
| 3 | F.S.; providing discounts on annual passes for members and |
| 4 | veterans of the United States Armed Forces and reserve |
| 5 | forces and for surviving spouses of certain veterans; |
| 6 | amending s. 258.004, F.S.; providing additional duties of |
| 7 | the Division of Recreation and Parks of the Department of |
| 8 | Environmental Protection; providing an effective date. |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Section 1. Section 258.0145, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 13 | to read: |
| 14 | 258.0145 Military state park fee discounts.-The Division |
| 15 | of Recreation and Parks shall provide the following discounts on |
| 16 | park fees to persons who present written documentation |
| 17 | satisfactory to the division which evidences their eligibility |
| 18 | for the discounts: |
| 19 | (1) Active duty members and honorably discharged veterans |
| 20 | of the United States Armed Forces, National Guard, or reserve |
| 21 | components thereof shall receive a 25 percent discount on annual |
| 22 | entrance passes. |
| 23 | (2) Honorably discharged veterans who have service- |
| 24 | connected disabilities shall receive lifetime family annual |
| 25 | entrance passes at no charge. |
| 26 | (3) Surviving spouses of deceased members of the United |
| 27 | States Armed Forces, National Guard, or reserve components |
| 28 | thereof who have fallen in combat shall receive lifetime family |
| 29 | annual entrance passes at no charge. |
| 30 | Section 2. Subsections (3) through (7) are added to |
| 31 | section 258.004, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 32 | 258.004 Duties of division.- |
| 33 | (3) The Division of Recreation and Parks shall study and |
| 34 | appraise the recreation needs of the state and assemble and |
| 35 | disseminate information relative to recreation. |
| 36 | (4) The Division of Recreation and Parks shall provide |
| 37 | consultation assistance to the Department of Community Affairs |
| 38 | and to local governing units as to the protection, organization, |
| 39 | and administration of local recreation systems and the planning |
| 40 | and design of local recreation areas and facilities. |
| 41 | (5) The Division of Recreation and Parks shall assist in |
| 42 | recruiting, training, and placing recreation personnel. |
| 43 | (6) The Division of Recreation and Parks shall sponsor and |
| 44 | promote recreation institutes, workshops, seminars, and |
| 45 | conferences throughout the state. |
| 46 | (7) The Division of Recreation and Parks shall cooperate |
| 47 | with state and federal agencies, private organizations, and |
| 48 | commercial and industrial interests in the promotion of a state |
| 49 | recreation program. |
| 50 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010. |