Senate committee reviews bill to give disabled veterans lifetime state park passes with five‑year renewals

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman told the Senate Resources Committee on Feb. 3, 2025, that Senate Bill 30 would provide disabled veterans free access to Alaska state parks by converting the current annual camping permit into a lifetime permit that automatically renews every five years and includes parking privileges.

The bill would amend the statute governing state park permits to allow disabled veterans to receive parking, campsite and restroom access without fee. Staff explained the bill defines “disabled veteran” as a person disabled in the line of duty and that sponsors intend to align eligibility practices with current State Parks practice (the sponsor stated the intent is that 50 percent VA disability would match current practice). The working committee substitute establishes an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026.

Veteran advocates and advisory‑board members testified in support. Bob Pawlowski, a retired veteran and chair of the Pioneer Home Advisory Board, said the change would help older and service‑connected disabled veterans who have reduced capacity for camping set‑up and teardown and praised the bill as increasing access to outdoor therapeutic programs. Philip Hawkinson, chair of the Alaska Veterans Advisory Council, cited the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022, which expanded national park access for veterans, and urged Alaska to provide similar state‑level access for disabled veterans.

State Parks director Ricky Geese described practical implementation details. Parks currently issues a sticker to affix to a vehicle for the camping pass; for SB 30 the department could mail two stickers if veterans needed separate stickers for different vehicles. Geese said the division could explore a transferable card (similar to disabled parking placards) if the committee preferred that option. He estimated roughly 17,000 veterans statewide would qualify, with about 5,000 in‑state veterans likely to request the parking pass; Parks currently has a five‑year pass cycle and would mirror that schedule.

Committee members asked about verification and fraud prevention, residency versus mailing address, and service‑connected disability thresholds. The sponsor said the intent is to follow existing State Parks eligibility practices; Parks agreed to provide written clarification on the disability threshold and proof requirements to the committee. The committee also discussed access for rural veterans and the department said it will accept and process initial documentation via the public information centers in Anchorage and Fairbanks and by mail when needed.

The committee adopted a committee substitute as the working document after Sen. Klayman moved to adopt the CS and the chair’s initial objection was withdrawn for purposes of discussion; the CS was before the committee as the working document. The committee set SB 30 aside for a future hearing that will include public testimony. A fiscal mention in the hearing indicated a deferred collection of fees of approximately $300,000 if parking fees are foregone, and Parks indicated that mailed permits and program timing would likely be accommodated within existing operations.