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Committee discusses expanding Liberty Pass exemptions to campsite and entry fees; bill reported to Finance
Summary
Committee members questioned how a bill expanding Liberty Pass exemptions would treat campsite fees and cabins, and discussed impacts for military families who commute to Fort Hamilton; the measure was reported to the Senate Finance Committee.
A bill discussed at the May 28 meeting of the New York State Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee would expand the Liberty Pass program’s coverage to additional park-related fees, including some campsite and entry charges, committee members said. The committee voted to report the bill to the Senate Finance Committee.
Why this matters: The Liberty Pass provides fee exemptions for eligible veterans, and expanding its coverage could reduce out-of-pocket costs for veterans and military families using state parks. Committee members pressed for clarity about which campsite and cabin fees would be exempt.
Committee discussion and questions A committee member summarized the measure this way: "So this is expanding the, the number of them, as well as be more expansive than what it actually covers." That speaker and others raised questions about whether campsite reservation fees, cabin fees and other entry charges would be included.
During the exchange one committee member asked for clarification: "Do you mean the entry key into the campsites or No. The cabins, for example, at the campsites?" Another committee member replied, "Correct. Okay. Yeah. Or the 10 campsites. Gotcha."
Members also discussed related cost burdens for military families near Fort Hamilton. One committee member noted: "Right now, there's only a commissary at the Fort Hamilton base. So a lot of the people who are stationed in Fort Wazord or vice versa, and, they have to go back and forth. So if you live on Staten Island and you work at Fort Hamilton, you have to pay that toll every single day. So this is specific to them... Because I think a lot of times active duty service members are very busy, so their family members go to do the shopping, you know, childcare issues, etcetera." The speaker framed that context as part of the bill's intent to help active-duty personnel and their families who travel for base services.
Outcome The committee voted to report the measure to the Senate Finance Committee. The transcript records the committee chair asking "All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? AWR?" and indicates the bill was reported.
What the transcript does not show The transcript does not record a final statutory text, specific fee categories by name, a complete roll-call vote with named tallies, or dollar estimates for lost revenue or costs to the State. Committee staff read the bill title during the meeting; full bill language and sponsor information should be checked on the Legislature’s official bill page for statutory specifics and sponsor attribution.
Next steps The bill was reported to the Senate Finance Committee for further consideration.
