Florida Senate - 2015                             CS for SB 1430
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Fiscal Policy; and Senator Abruzzo
       
       
       
       
       
       594-03787-15                                          20151430c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to discounts on public park entrance
    3         fees and transportation fares; creating s. 125.029,
    4         F.S.; requiring counties to provide a partial or a
    5         full discount on park entrance fees to military
    6         members, veterans, and the spouse and parents of
    7         certain deceased military members, law enforcement
    8         officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians,
    9         and paramedics; requiring that individuals seeking the
   10         discount present information satisfactory to the
   11         county department which evidences eligibility;
   12         defining the term “park entrance fee”; providing
   13         certain exclusions; creating s. 163.58, F.S.;
   14         requiring certain regional transportation authorities
   15         to provide a partial or a full discount on fares for
   16         certain disabled veterans; creating s. 166.0447, F.S.;
   17         requiring municipalities to provide a partial or a
   18         full discount on park entrance fees to military
   19         members, veterans, and the spouse and parents of
   20         certain deceased military members, law enforcement
   21         officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians,
   22         and paramedics; requiring that individuals seeking the
   23         discount present information satisfactory to the
   24         municipal department which evidences eligibility;
   25         defining the term “park entrance fee”; providing
   26         certain exclusions; providing an effective date.
   27          
   28  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   29  
   30         Section 1. Section 125.029, Florida Statutes, is created to
   31  read:
   32         125.029 County park entrance 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 information satisfactory to
   36  the county department which evidences eligibility for the
   37  discount:
   38         (a) A current member of the United States Armed Forces,
   39  their reserve components, or the National Guard.
   40         (b) An honorably discharged veteran of the United States
   41  Armed Forces, their reserve components, or the National Guard.
   42         (c) An honorably discharged veteran of the United States
   43  Armed Forces, their 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 and parents of a deceased member of
   47  the United States Armed Forces, their reserve components, or the
   48  National Guard, who died in the line of duty under combat
   49  related conditions.
   50         (e) A surviving spouse and parents of a law enforcement
   51  officer, as defined in s. 943.10(1), a firefighter, as defined
   52  in s. 633.102, or an emergency medical technician or paramedic
   53  employed by state or local government, who died in the line of
   54  duty.
   55         (2) As used in this section, the term “park entrance fee”
   56  means a fee charged to access lands managed by a county park or
   57  recreation department. The term does not include expanded
   58  amenity fees for amenities, such as campgrounds, aquatic
   59  facilities, stadiums or arenas, facility rentals, special
   60  events, boat launching, golf, zoos, museums, gardens, or
   61  programs taking place within public lands.
   62         Section 2. Section 163.58, Florida Statutes, is created to
   63  read:
   64         163.58 Transportation fare discounts.—An authority as
   65  defined in this chapter, chapter 343, or chapter 349 shall
   66  provide a partial or a full discount on fares for the use of a
   67  fixed-route transportation system operated by the authority to a
   68  disabled veteran as described in s. 295.07(1)(a) who presents
   69  information satisfactory to the authority which evidences
   70  eligibility for the discount.
   71         Section 3. Section 166.0447, Florida Statutes, is created
   72  to read:
   73         166.0447 Municipal park entrance fee discounts.—
   74         (1) A municipal park or recreation department shall provide
   75  a partial or a full discount on park entrance fees to the
   76  following individuals who present information satisfactory to
   77  the municipal department which evidences eligibility for the
   78  discount:
   79         (a) A current member of the United States Armed Forces,
   80  their reserve components, or the National Guard.
   81         (b) An honorably discharged veteran of the United States
   82  Armed Forces, their reserve components, or the National Guard.
   83         (c) An honorably discharged veteran of the United States
   84  Armed Forces, their reserve components, or the National Guard,
   85  who has a service-connected disability as determined by the
   86  United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
   87         (d) A surviving spouse and parents of a deceased member of
   88  the United States Armed Forces, their reserve components, or the
   89  National Guard, who died in the line of duty under combat
   90  related conditions.
   91         (e) A surviving spouse and parents of a law enforcement
   92  officer, as defined in s. 943.10(1), a firefighter, as defined
   93  in s. 633.102, or an emergency medical technician or paramedic
   94  employed by state or local government, who died in the line of
   95  duty.
   96         (2) As used in this section, the term “park entrance fee”
   97  means a fee charged to access lands managed by a municipal park
   98  or recreation department. The term does not include expanded
   99  amenity fees for amenities, such as campgrounds, aquatic
  100  facilities, stadiums or arenas, facility rentals, special
  101  events, boat launching, golf, zoos, museums, gardens, or
  102  programs taking place within public lands.
  103         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.