SB345: relative to state park fees for state residents.

SB 345-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

02/08/2024 0576s

2024 SESSION

24-2823

10/05

SENATE BILL 345-FN

AN ACT relative to state park fees for state residents.

SPONSORS: Sen. Murphy, Dist 16; Rep. J. Harvey-Bolia, Belk. 3; Rep. Notter, Hills. 12

COMMITTEE: Energy and Natural Resources

ANALYSIS

This bill requires that the commissioner of the department of natural and cultural resources set state park fees charged to residents of New Hampshire to be no more than 50 percent of the fees for entry for state parks charged to nonresidents, and allows the commissioner to set separate fee schedules for residents and nonresidents for specific uses within any state park.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

02/08/2024 0576s 24-2823

10/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four

AN ACT relative to state park fees for state residents.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 State Park System; Fees for Park System; Residency. Amend RSA 216-A:3-g, I to read as follows:

I. Fees for the use of park areas shall be designed to recover a reasonable portion of budget expenses consistent with the purposes of RSA 216-A:1 and 216-A:3. Provided, however, that fees charged to New Hampshire residents to enter state parks collected via a website or by a person stationed within the park shall be no more than 50 percent of the entry fees charged to nonresidents. The commissioner of the department of natural and cultural resources, or his or her designee, may elect to set separate fee schedules for residents and nonresidents for specific uses within any state park, including camping, facility rental, parking, or boat rental, provided that where separate fee schedules are created for any given service or product, residents shall be charged no more than 90 percent of the fee charged to nonresidents. Residency may be indicated by state-issued identification, utility or tax bills, vehicle registrations, student identification, or vehicle license plates. The general court does not intend that all park facilities be self-supporting.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect April 1, 2025.

LBA

24-2823

Amended 2/21/24

SB 345-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE (AMENDMENT #2024-0576s)

AN ACT relative to state park fees for state residents.

FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ ] Local [ ] None

Estimated State Impact - Increase / (Decrease)

FY 2024

FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

Revenue

$0

Indeterminable Decrease

Indeterminable Decrease

Indeterminable Decrease

Revenue Fund(s)

State Park Fund

Expenditures

$0

Indeterminable Increase

$0

$0

Funding Source(s)

State Park Fund

Appropriations

$0

$0

$0

$0

Funding Source(s)

None

• Does this bill provide sufficient funding to cover estimated expenditures? [X] N/A

• Does this bill authorize new positions to implement this bill? [X] N/A

METHODOLOGY:

This bill requires theCcommissioner of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources set state park fees charged to residents of New Hampshire to be no more than 50 percent of the fees for entry for state parks charged to nonresidents, and allows the commissioner to set separate fee schedules for residents and nonresidents for specific uses within any state park.

The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources states the impact to the State Park Fund is indeterminable, but is expected to result in a decrease in revenue. This decrease is anticipated due to unrealized income from fee reductions for residents, reduced revenue from non-resident visitors choosing other recreational options, and the added cost of modifying the state park reservation and POS systems. Although the DNCR is unable to determine an exact fiscal impact, to help project and estimated range the Department did an analysis using the following assumptions:

The visitation data from FY 2023 would remain the same with 989,694 visitors in one fiscal year and a split of 39% day-use reservation or purchased tickets from residents (382,549) and 61% from non-residents (607,145). It is important to note the Division of Parks and Recreation does not collect residency data at the gate and this information has not been factored into the analysis.

The Division assumed the maximum decrease of 50% in the day-use fee for residents bring the average fee from $4.50 for an adult to $2.25, a decrease of $2.25. This change would result in an estimate loss of State Park revenue of $860,735 (382,549 x $2.25).

Conversely, the Division assumed an increase of 1.5 times for the non-resident adult fee increasing it from $4.50 to $6.75, an increase of $2.25. This change would result in an estimated increase in State Park revenue of $1,366,076 (607,145 x $2.25).

Using the assumptions above the estimated fiscal impact to State Park Fund revenue could range from ($860,735) to $1,366,076. This estimate does not factor in the effective date of April 1, 2025. Nor does it factor in the potential loss in fees from non-resident visitors choosing other recreational options based on the non-resident fee increase.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Natural and Cultural Resources