Amendment SSA1-SB324

LRBs0148/1

ZDW:skw

2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE

SENATE SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 1, TO SENATE BILL 324

May 18, 2021 - Offered by Senator Jacque.

SB324-SSA1,1,2 An Act to create 30.76 and 30.77 (1) (c) of the statutes; relating to: free access to boat launches for veterans over 65 years of age.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill provides that the Department of Natural Resources, municipalities, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts, and town sanitary districts may not require a veteran over the age of 65 to pay for the use of a public boat launch.

Current law does not require a fee for the use of boat launches. Rules promulgated by DNR encourage the free use of boat launches, but authorize the charging of reasonable launch fees to operate and maintain boat access sites owned or operated by municipalities, lake management districts, and other access providers. DNR rules establish a fee schedule for determining a reasonable fee for the use of boat launches.

Under the bill, a veteran over the age of 65 may use any public boat launch in the state without paying a fee if the veteran provides copies of his or her vehicle registration and certificate of release or discharge from active duty (commonly known as form DD214). The bill provides that, in lieu of making any payment required at a boat launch, this documentation must be provided either to the boat launch attendant or deposited into a receptacle provided for collecting payments at the boat launch.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB324-SSA1,1 Section 1. 30.76 of the statutes is created to read:

SB324-SSA1,2,11 30.76 Boat launching fees. The department may not require a veteran, as defined in s. 45.01 (12), who is over the age of 65 to pay a fee for the use of a public boat launch owned or operated by the state if the veteran provides to the department a copy of his or her certificate of release or discharge from active duty and a copy of the registration for the vehicle he or she is using to trailer the boat. In lieu of making any payment required at a boat launch, the veteran shall provide the documentation required under this section to the boat launch attendant or shall deposit the documentation into a receptacle provided for collecting payments at the boat launch. Nothing in this section prevents the department from requiring a veteran to comply with vehicle admission receipt requirements under s. 27.01 (7) (b).

SB324-SSA1,2 Section 2. 30.77 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to read:

SB324-SSA1,3,2 30.77 (1) (c) Require a veteran, as defined in s. 45.01 (12), who is over the age of 65 to pay any fee for the use of a public boat launch owned or operated by the municipality, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, or town sanitary district if the veteran provides to the owner or operator of the boat launch a copy of his or her certificate of release or discharge from active duty and a copy of the registration for the vehicle he or she is using to trailer the boat. In lieu of making any payment required at a boat launch, the veteran shall provide the documentation required under this paragraph to the boat launch attendant or shall deposit the documentation into a receptacle provided for collecting payments at the boat launch.

SB324-SSA1,3,3 (End)