BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 240
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 6, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
240 (Wilk) - As Amended March 16, 2015
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|Policy |Veterans Affairs |Vote:|9 - 0 |
|Committee: | | | |
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|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| |Water, Parks and Wildlife | |15 - 0 |
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|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable:
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) to
allow free day use entry to all units of the state park for
veterans who are high military honor recipients and Gold Star
families.
AB 240
Page 2
Specifically, this bill allows free day entry for all
individuals who have qualified and obtained the specialized
license plates issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
to honor the following:
1) Pearl Harbor Survivors
2) Legion of Valor Recipients
3) Prisoners of War
4) Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients
5) Purple Heart Recipients
6) Gold Star Families
FISCAL EFFECT:
Unknown initial annual revenue loss for DPR resulting from
Veterans and their families displacing visitors paying a
day-fee, likely in the $50,000 to $200,000 range (State Parks
and Recreation Fund).
Currently, DMV issues the following number of license plates by
category:
AB 240
Page 3
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| Type of Plate | Number of Plates |
| | Issued |
| | |
| | |
|-------------------+--------------------|
|Gold Star Family | 628 |
| | |
| | |
|-------------------+--------------------|
|Purple Heart | 7,481 |
| | |
| | |
|-------------------+--------------------|
|Pearl Harbor | 241 |
| | |
| | |
|-------------------+--------------------|
|Legion of Valor | 55 |
| | |
| | |
|-------------------+--------------------|
| TOTAL|8,405 |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
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AB 240
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If each of the current plate holders visited a state park day
use area between one and three times per year, using an average
day use entry fee (usually a parking fee) of $8 per vehicle, the
revenue loss would be between $67,240 and $201,720. This
assumes the parking lots are full and paying visitors are unable
to enter. It is unlikely this will be the case in all but the
most popular parks.
DPR anticipates the annual revenue loss will increase as people
become aware of the program
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, this bill will honor our
military heroes and encourage state park tourism by allowing
free day use access to state parks for our veterans with the
highest military honors.
2)Background. Currently, veterans may apply for and receive a
Distinguished Veteran Parks Pass if they provide proof of a
disability rating of 50% or more, proof of being held captive
as a prisoner of war, or proof of being a recipient of a
Congressional Medal of Honor.
This bill would additionally include distinguished veterans
who have been awarded special medals of honor for outstanding
service, and have applied for and received specialized license
plates from DMV.
The additional award categories to which this bill applies
include Purple Heart recipients, Pearl Harbor Survivors,
AB 240
Page 5
former Prisoners of War, recipients of Army, Navy and Air
Force medals of honor, recipients of the Army Distinguished
Service Cross, Navy Cross, and Air Force Cross (Legion of
Valor), and Gold Star Families. Gold Star Families are
surviving family members of armed service members killed in
the line of active duty.
Unlike the Distinguished Veterans Parks Pass, this bill will
likely reduce administrative costs by allowing DPR to grant
entry to vehicles that have the specialized military license
plates rather than issue park passes.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081