BILL NUMBER:  S7205

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law,
in relation to identification badges for access to recreational
facilities

 PURPOSE :

This bill would remove the requirement that the empire passport decal
be affixed to the passholder's vehicle

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 amends subdivision two of section 13.16 of the parks,
recreation and historic preservation law to state that the empire
passport shall be an identification card. The card would permit such
person, his or her vehicle, and all its occupants access to any state
park or recreational facility for which there is a vehicular access
fee.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

              

Currently, individuals who purchase an Annual Empire Passport or
Multiple Year Empire Passport must affix a decal to their vehicle.
However, for people who rent cars or use car sharing programs, this
process can be burdensome. The Office of Parks, Recreation and
Historic Preservation's (OPRHP) guidelines state that, like all other
vehicles, leased and rented cars must also have the decal affixed each
time the passholder wants to use it, then the passholder must order a
replacement. In order to receive a replacement decal, you must provide
OPRHP with "a letter requesting replacement and explaining the
circumstances of the loss; the decal, or its fragments or scrapings
(whenever possible, but always for a vehicle that has been sold or a
leased vehicle that has been returned); and proof of loss, sale or
damage acceptable to the Office, such as a police report, insurance
report, repair invoice, DMV report, bill of sale, etc. whenever
possible, but always when the decal or fragments are not available."

Not only is this burdensome for people who use rented and leased cars,
but it provides no flexibility to families with more than one car or
people borrowing a car from a friend. In addition to the Annual and
Multiple Year Empire Passports, the Office also offers a Lifetime
Empire Passport. When a person chooses this option, an icon is placed
on the passholder's driver's license or non-driver ID. In providing
this option, the Office has made clear that the Empire Passport
follows the passholder, not the vehicle.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None to state.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition,
amendment, and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the
timely implementation of this act on its effective date is authorized
to be made on or before such date.