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: 31 125.028 Military, 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.