| 1 | 1 | | |
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| 2 | 2 | | Introduced Version |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE BILL No. 1556 |
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| 4 | 4 | | _____ |
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| 5 | 5 | | DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL |
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| 6 | 6 | | Citations Affected: IC 14-8-2-296.5; IC 14-19-3-1.5. |
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| 7 | 7 | | Synopsis: Free state park admission for veterans. Requires the |
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| 8 | 8 | | department of natural resources to provide free admission to state parks |
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| 9 | 9 | | to veterans with the proper identification. |
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| 10 | 10 | | Effective: July 1, 2025. |
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| 11 | 11 | | Baird |
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| 12 | 12 | | January 21, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources. |
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| 13 | 13 | | 2025 IN 1556—LS 7581/DI 150 Introduced |
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| 14 | 14 | | First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025) |
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| 15 | 15 | | PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana |
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| 16 | 16 | | Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type, |
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| 17 | 17 | | additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type. |
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| 18 | 18 | | Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional |
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| 19 | 19 | | provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the |
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| 20 | 20 | | word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds |
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| 21 | 21 | | a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution. |
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| 22 | 22 | | Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts |
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| 23 | 23 | | between statutes enacted by the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. |
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| 24 | 24 | | HOUSE BILL No. 1556 |
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| 25 | 25 | | A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning |
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| 26 | 26 | | natural and cultural resources. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana: |
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| 28 | 28 | | 1 SECTION 1. IC 14-8-2-296.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA |
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| 29 | 29 | | 2 CODE AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS |
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| 30 | 30 | | 3 [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 296.5. "Veteran", for purposes of |
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| 31 | 31 | | 4 IC 14-19-3-1.5, means an individual who: |
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| 32 | 32 | | 5 (1) has served in: |
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| 33 | 33 | | 6 (A) the armed forces of the United States or their reserves; |
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| 34 | 34 | | 7 (B) the Indiana Army National Guard; or |
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| 35 | 35 | | 8 (C) the Indiana Air National Guard; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | 9 (2) was released from active duty under conditions other than |
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| 37 | 37 | | 10 dishonorable. |
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| 38 | 38 | | 11 SECTION 2. IC 14-19-3-1.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE |
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| 39 | 39 | | 12 AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY |
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| 40 | 40 | | 13 1, 2025]: Sec. 1.5. (a) The department shall admit and may not |
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| 41 | 41 | | 14 charge an admission fee for use of an Indiana state park to: |
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| 42 | 42 | | 15 (1) an individual who is: |
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| 43 | 43 | | 16 (A) a veteran; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | 17 (B) an Indiana resident; and |
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| 45 | 45 | | 2025 IN 1556—LS 7581/DI 150 2 |
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| 46 | 46 | | 1 (2) the individual's: |
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| 47 | 47 | | 2 (A) motor vehicle; and |
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| 48 | 48 | | 3 (B) passengers. |
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| 49 | 49 | | 4 The individual must present an item described in subsection (c) for |
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| 50 | 50 | | 5 the department to verify that the individual meets the |
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| 51 | 51 | | 6 requirements of this subsection. |
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| 52 | 52 | | 7 (b) Free admittance to a state park is limited to an individual |
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| 53 | 53 | | 8 described in subsection (a) and not more than five (5) occupants in |
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| 54 | 54 | | 9 a vehicle entering with the individual. |
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| 55 | 55 | | 10 (c) The following items may be used to verify that an individual |
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| 56 | 56 | | 11 qualifies for admission under subsection (a): |
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| 57 | 57 | | 12 (1) A United States Uniformed Services Retiree Identification |
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| 58 | 58 | | 13 Card. |
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| 59 | 59 | | 14 (2) A DD 214 or DD 215 record. |
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| 60 | 60 | | 15 (3) United States military discharge papers. |
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| 61 | 61 | | 16 (4) A credential issued to the individual that contains an |
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| 62 | 62 | | 17 indication of veteran status under IC 9-24-11-5.5 or |
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| 63 | 63 | | 18 IC 9-24-16-3. |
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| 64 | 64 | | 19 (5) Any other identification approved by the department, in |
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| 65 | 65 | | 20 consultation with the Indiana department of veterans' affairs |
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| 66 | 66 | | 21 established by IC 10-17-1-2. |
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| 67 | 67 | | 2025 IN 1556—LS 7581/DI 150 |
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