A BILL to amend and reenact § 10.1-202.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to state parks; access for veterans; free entry and discounted services.
HB270 amends Virginia law governing the Veteran’s Passport for state parks. The bill would rename and revise the existing passport program so that a qualifying veteran with a 100 percent service-connected disability rating can receive a Disabled Veteran’s Passport upon request, using specified forms of military or veterans’ identification. The passport would entitle the holder to free entry into state parks without parking or admission fees and a 50 percent discount on camping, swimming, picnic shelter rentals, and other Department-provided equipment rentals.
The bill also adds a grandfathering provision for people who have already been issued a Disabled Veteran’s Passport by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, allowing them to continue using it in perpetuity without needing to reapply under the amended statute. In practical terms, the measure expands and clarifies access to state park benefits for disabled veterans and preserves existing benefits for current passport holders.
If enacted, HB270 would amend § 10.1-202.2 of the Code of Virginia, changing the statutory framework for veteran access to state parks and the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s passport program. It would affect eligibility documentation, the naming of the passport, and the scope of benefits available to disabled veterans with a 100 percent service-connected disability rating. The bill would also create a permanent-use protection for current passport holders, limiting administrative disruption for veterans already participating in the program.
The available context shows no recorded committee debate or floor votes, and the bill was left in the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources. Based on the text alone, the measure appears supportive of veterans and aimed at expanding or preserving benefits rather than restricting them. The absence of recorded opposition or amendments in the provided materials suggests no documented controversy in the available record, though the bill did not advance out of committee.
The main policy issue is eligibility and administration: the bill limits the enhanced passport benefit to veterans with a 100 percent service-connected disability rating and requires proof through specified federal or military identification. A secondary point is the grandfather clause, which permanently preserves existing passport access for current holders, potentially raising questions about how the Department of Conservation and Recreation would administer old and new passport categories. No specific opponents or competing viewpoints are identified in the provided transcripts or vote history.