Florida Senate - 2014                       CS for CS for SB 378
       
       
        
       By the Committees on Community Affairs; and Military and
       Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security; and Senator
       Abruzzo
       
       
       
       578-02184-14                                           2014378c2
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to discounts on public facility fees
    3         and fares; creating s. 125.028, F.S.; requiring
    4         counties to provide partial or full discounts on park
    5         entrance fees to military members, veterans, and the
    6         spouses and parents of certain deceased military
    7         members, law enforcement officers, and firefighters;
    8         requiring that individuals seeking the discount
    9         present written documentation satisfactory to the
   10         county which evidences eligibility; defining the term
   11         “park entrance fee” and providing certain exclusions;
   12         creating s. 163.58, F.S.; requiring regional
   13         transportation authorities to provide partial or full
   14         discounts on fares and on other charges for certain
   15         disabled veterans; creating s. 166.0447, F.S.;
   16         requiring municipalities to provide partial or full
   17         discounts on park entrance fees to military members,
   18         veterans, and the spouses and parents of certain
   19         deceased military members, law enforcement officers,
   20         and firefighters; requiring that individuals seeking
   21         the discount present written documentation
   22         satisfactory to the municipality which evidences
   23         eligibility; defining the term “park entrance fee” and
   24         providing certain exclusions; providing an effective
   25         date.
   26          
   27  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   28  
   29         Section 1. Section 125.028, Florida Statutes, is created to
   30  read:
   31         125.028Military, law enforcement, and firefighter county
   32  park fee discounts.—
   33         (1) A county park or recreation department shall provide a
   34  partial or a full discount on park entrance fees to the
   35  following individuals who present written documentation
   36  satisfactory to the county department which evidences
   37  eligibility for the discount:
   38         (a) A current member of the United States Armed Forces or
   39  its reserve components, or the National Guard.
   40         (b) An honorably discharged veteran of the United States
   41  Armed Forces or its reserve components, or the National Guard.
   42         (c) An honorably discharged veteran of the United States
   43  Armed Forces or its reserve components, or the National Guard,
   44  who has a service-connected disability as determined by the
   45  United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
   46         (d) A surviving spouse or parent of a deceased member of
   47  the United States Armed Forces or its reserve components, or the
   48  National Guard, who died in the line of duty under combat
   49  related conditions.
   50         (e) A surviving spouse or parent of a law enforcement
   51  officer, as defined in s. 943.10(1), or a firefighter, as
   52  defined in s. 633.102, who died in the line of duty.
   53         (2) As used in this section, the term “park entrance fee”
   54  means a fee charged to access lands managed by a county park or
   55  recreation department. The term does not include expanded
   56  amenity fees for amenities such as, campgrounds, aquatic
   57  facilities, stadiums or arenas, facility rentals, special
   58  events, boat launching, golf, zoos, museums, gardens, or
   59  programs taking place within public lands.
   60         Section 2.  Section 163.58, Florida Statutes, is created to
   61  read:
   62         163.58 Transportation fare discounts.—A regional
   63  transportation authority shall provide a partial or a full
   64  discount on fares and on other charges to a disabled veteran as
   65  described in s. 295.07(1)(a) for the use of a transportation
   66  system or transportation facility owned or operated by the
   67  authority upon a showing of written documentation satisfactory
   68  to the authority which evidences eligibility for the discount.
   69         Section 3. Section 166.0447, Florida Statutes, is created
   70  to read:
   71         166.0447 Military, law enforcement, and firefighter
   72  municipal park fee discounts.—
   73         (1) A municipal park or recreation department shall provide
   74  a partial or a full discount on park entrance fees to the
   75  following individuals who present written documentation
   76  satisfactory to the municipal department which evidences
   77  eligibility for the discount:
   78         (a) A current member of the United States Armed Forces or
   79  its reserve components, or the National Guard.
   80         (b) An honorably discharged veteran of the United States
   81  Armed Forces or its reserve components, or the National Guard.
   82         (c) An honorably discharged veteran of the United States
   83  Armed Forces or its reserve components, or the National Guard,
   84  who has a service-connected disability as determined by the
   85  United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
   86         (d) A surviving spouse or parent of a deceased member of
   87  the United States Armed Forces or its reserve components, or the
   88  National Guard, who died in the line of duty under combat
   89  related conditions.
   90         (e) A surviving spouse or parent of a law enforcement
   91  officer, as defined in s. 943.10(1), or a firefighter, as
   92  defined in s. 633.102, who died in the line of duty.
   93         (2) As used in this section, the term “park entrance fee”
   94  means a fee charged to access lands managed by a municipal park
   95  or recreation department. The term does not include expanded
   96  amenity fees for amenities such as, campgrounds, aquatic
   97  facilities, stadiums or arenas, facility rentals, special
   98  events, boat launching, golf, zoos, museums, gardens, or
   99  programs taking place within public lands.
  100         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.