Exempts veterans and those on active duty from paying certain fees for travel on the New York world war veterans memorial highway in Essex county or Prospect mountain veteran's memorial highway in Warren county.
Summary
This bill amends the Environmental Conservation Law to prohibit the state from charging travel fees or other charges to certain military-connected individuals using two specific highways: the New York World War Veterans Memorial Highway in Essex County and the Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway in Warren County. The exemption applies to veterans as defined in the Veterans’ Services Law, persons on active duty as defined in the Military Law, and members of the armed forces of the United States as defined in the Military Law.
The bill is narrowly targeted and does not broadly change tolling or fee policy statewide. Instead, it creates a fee exemption for eligible users of these memorial highways and directs that the existing authority to collect fees on those facilities remain in place for other travelers. The measure takes effect immediately upon enactment.
Impact
The bill would amend subdivision 2 of section 9-0903 of the Environmental Conservation Law to carve out an exemption from travel fees on two named highways for veterans, active-duty service members, and certain armed forces members. It would affect the state’s authority to assess charges on those routes, while leaving the fee structure otherwise intact for non-exempt users. The practical impact is limited to the two memorial highways in Essex and Warren counties and to the defined classes of military personnel.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or vote record is available, so there is no documented debate or recorded legislative sentiment in the provided materials. Based on the bill’s text and caption, the measure appears supportive of veterans and service members and is framed as a benefit for military-connected travelers rather than a controversial policy change.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided record. Potential areas of discussion, if raised, would likely involve the fiscal effect of exempting certain users from fees, the administrative burden of verifying eligibility, and whether the exemption should be limited to these two highways or expanded more broadly. However, no opposing arguments or stakeholder positions are included in the available materials.
Same As
Exempts veterans and those on active duty from paying certain fees for travel on the New York world war veterans memorial highway in Essex county or Prospect mountain veteran's memorial highway in Warren county.
Exempts veterans and those on active duty from paying certain fees for travel on the New York world war veterans memorial highway in Essex county or Prospect mountain veteran's memorial highway in Warren county.