02/17/2025 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES

        SB  30-STATE PARK PERMITS FOR DISABLED VETERANS                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:15:41 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   GIESSEL  reconvened   the  meeting   and  announced   the                                                               
consideration  of  SENATE BILL  NO.  30  "An Act  making  certain                                                               
veterans  eligible for  a lifetime  permit to  access state  park                                                               
campsites and  the parking and restrooms  of developed facilities                                                               
without charge; and  providing for an effective  date." She noted                                                               
this was  the second  hearing of  SB 30  by the  Senate Resources                                                               
Standing Committee.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
   [Before the committee is CSSB 30, work order 34-LS0293\I,                                                                    
                   adopted February 3, 2025.]                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:16:01 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  JESSE BJORKMAN,  District D,  Alaska State  Legislature,                                                               
Juneau, Alaska, sponsor  of SB 30, gave an overview  of SB 30. He                                                               
paraphrased the following sponsor statement.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
         SB 30 State Park Permits for Disabled Veterans                                                                       
                  Version I Sponsor Statement                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Senate Bill  30 would allow disabled  veterans who have                                                                    
     honorably served  our country  to have a  free lifetime                                                                    
     permit to  Alaska State Parks. The  permit will provide                                                                    
     access  to  developed  campsites,  parking  areas,  and                                                                    
     restrooms.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Currently under statute,  disabled veterans qualify for                                                                    
     a free  annual permit that  must be reapplied  for each                                                                    
     year. By changing the term  of the permit to a lifetime                                                                    
     pass, it will  be easier for disabled  veterans to take                                                                    
     advantage of this opportunity.  In addition, the annual                                                                    
     permit  does not  currently allow  for free  parking at                                                                    
     Alaska  State  Parks.  By including  parking,  disabled                                                                    
     veterans  will  have  greater access  to  the  benefits                                                                    
     provided by our parks.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     I believe  that those who  have served their  nation in                                                                    
     the  military  deserve  the  utmost  respect  and  have                                                                    
     earned  the right  to  enjoy the  beauty  of our  great                                                                    
     state  that they  have defended  and sacrificed  for. I                                                                    
     respectfully ask  for your support of  this legislation                                                                    
     for the benefit of our disabled veterans.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BJORKMAN  noted  that disabled  veterans  qualified  for                                                               
passes to  Alaska State  Parks, however  the current  pass system                                                               
applied  only  to camping.  He  said  SB  30 would  simplify  the                                                               
process for a qualified veteran.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:17:27 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL noted  that Director Gease was  available to answer                                                               
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:17:33 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL  opened public  testimony on  SB 30;  finding none,                                                               
she closed public testimony.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:17:56 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  DUNBAR asked  what definition  or  degree of  disability                                                               
would  qualify for  the pass,  how many  people were  expected to                                                               
obtain the pass and what effect  the pass was expected to have on                                                               
state park revenues.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:18:52 PM                                                                                                                    
RICKY GEASE, Director, Division  of Parks and Outdoor Recreation,                                                               
Department of  Natural Resources  (DNR), Anchorage,  Alaska, said                                                               
the definition  of disability was  not in statute  or regulation.                                                               
DNR employed the US Department  of Veterans Affairs definition of                                                               
service-connected  disability.  He  said there  were  about  2400                                                               
people on the current five-year  [camping] pass. He thought there                                                               
were around 18,000 service members  in Alaska. He emphasized that                                                               
the [camping pass]  was a benefit that accrued to  any veteran in                                                               
the  country,  although of  the  current  Disabled Veteran  (DAV)                                                               
passes, he estimated only three to  four percent were from out of                                                               
state. He said  that if SB 30 passes there  will be two different                                                               
passes, one  for the  veterans camping  pass, and  one will  be a                                                               
parking  pass. He  said  DNR anticipated  that  the parking  pass                                                               
would be more  popular than the camping pass, and  at this point,                                                               
estimated [5,000] people would use it.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:20:49 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  DUNBAR assumed  it was  mostly  Alaska residents  taking                                                               
advantage of  the current benefit.  He asked whether  the parking                                                               
pass  was expected  to  be  more popular  than  the current  park                                                               
[camping] pass.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:21:28 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. GEASE  affirmed that DNR  anticipated about  5,000 applicants                                                               
for the parking pass.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:22:06 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES  referred to the  fiscal note from  the Department                                                               
of  Natural Resources  (DNR), OMB  Component  Number 3001,  dated                                                               
January 31,  2025. She noted  that the narrative said  the passes                                                               
were for Alaskan veterans and  suggested correcting it to include                                                               
all US veterans.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:22:56 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL solicited the will of the committee.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:23:22 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI moved  to report  CSSB 30,  work order  34-                                                               
LS0293\I,  from  committee  with individual  recommendations  and                                                               
attached fiscal note(s).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:23:40 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL  found no objection  and CSSB 30(RES)  was reported                                                               
from Senate Resources Standing Committee.