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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 590
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 4466
Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT
Introduced by:
(ENV)
AN ACT CONCERNING TH E SELECTION OF CATERER S FOR
INDIVIDUALS WHO RENT STATE-OWNED VENUES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 23-26 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019): 2
(a) The commissioner may (1) provide for the collection of fees for 3
parking, admission, boat launching and other uses of state parks, 4
forests, boat launches and other state recreational facilities, (2) 5
establish from time to time the daily and seasonal amount thereof, (3) 6
enter into contractual relations with other persons for the operation of 7
concessions, (4) establish other sources of revenue to be derived from 8
services to the general public using such parks, forests and facilities, 9
(5) employ such assistants as may be necessary for the collection of 10
such revenue. The commissioner shall deposit such revenue derived 11
therefrom with the State Treasurer in the Passport to the Parks account 12
established pursuant to section 23-15h. On and after July 1, 1992, any 13
increase in any fee or any establishment of a new fee under this section 14
shall be by regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of 15
chapter 54. Not later than May 1, 2010, said commissioner shall 16
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establish the daily and seasonal amount of such parking, admission, 17
boat launching and other use fees for residents of this state in amounts 18
not greater than one hundred thirty-five per cent of the amounts 19
charged for such fees by said commissioner as of April 1, 2009. Not 20
later than May 1, 2010, said commissioner shall establish the daily and 21
seasonal amount of such parking, admission, boat launching and other 22
use fees for nonresidents of this state in amounts not greater than one 23
hundred fifty per cent of the amounts charged for such fees by said 24
commissioner as of April 1, 2009. Notwithstanding the provisions of 25
this section, the commissioner may enter into an agreement with any 26
municipality under which the municipality may retain fees collected 27
by municipal officers at state boat launches when state employees are 28
not on duty. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require 29
any person who rents a venue at a state park or other facility to utilize 30
the services of any caterer who may otherwise have a contract with the 31
commissioner to provide catering services at such venue. 32
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 33
the commissioner may establish fees for the public use of the mansion 34
at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, the Ellie Mitchell 35
Pavilion at Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme and Gillette Castle 36
State Park in East Haddam provided no fee shall be charged to any 37
group organized as a nonprofit corporation under 26 USC 501(c)(3) for 38
purposes of providing support to such parks or facilities and further 39
provided the commissioner shall specify procedures and criteria for 40
the selection of any private business which is engaged by the state to 41
provide services during any such public use, including, but not limited 42
to, catering services. Such fees, procedures and criteria shall be 43
effective until June 30, 1999, or until regulations are adopted, 44
whichever is sooner. Regulations implementing such fees, procedures 45
and criteria shall be adopted in accordance with the provisions of 46
chapter 54 on or before July 1, 1999. Such fees shall be comparable with 47
rents and charges of similar properties based on fair market rates. 48
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require any person 49
who rents a venue at a state park or other facility to utilize the services 50
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of any caterer who may otherwise have a contract with the 51
commissioner to provide catering services at such venue. 52
(c) The commissioner shall issue to any nonresident of the state, 53
upon payment of a fee established by said commissioner, a 54
nontransferable Connecticut private passenger motor vehicle pass 55
which permits free parking throughout the calendar year at any state 56
park, forest, boat launch or other state recreational facility, provided 57
the commissioner shall not be required to issue such a pass to any 58
park, forest or facility which is wholly managed by a private 59
concessionaire and may require payment of fees for special events. Not 60
later than May 1, 2010, said commissioner shall establish the amount of 61
such fee for nonresidents of this state in an amount not greater than 62
one hundred fifty per cent of the amount charged for such fee by said 63
commissioner as of April 1, 2009. 64
(d) The commissioner shall issue to any resident of the state who is 65
sixty-five years of age or older and to any resident of this state who is a 66
disabled veteran, as defined in section 14-254, or under federal law, 67
without fee, upon application of such resident, a nontransferable 68
lifetime pass which shall permit free admission and boat access 69
parking for use at any state park, forest or state recreational facility, 70
provided the commissioner shall not be required to issue such a pass 71
for use of any park, forest or facility which is wholly managed by a 72
private concessionaire and may require payment of fees for special 73
events. 74
(e) Notwithstanding any provision of this section, any person with a 75
valid Connecticut motor vehicle license plate shall not pay a parking 76
fee at any state park, forest or other state recreational facility on and 77
after January 1, 2018. 78
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2019 23-26
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Statement of Purpose:
To allow persons who rent state-owned venues in parks and other
locations to use the caterer of their own choice.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
not underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: SEN. OSTEN, 19th Dist.; REP. RYAN, 139th Dist.
S.B. 590