An Act to Provide Free Admission to State Parks and Historic Sites
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1043
Sponsors: HEPLER, RENY
Amends: 12 MRSA §1819-A, 12 MRSA §1819-B

Legislative Document
No. 1043
H.P. 672
House of Representatives, March 14, 2025
An Act to Provide Free Admission to State Parks and Historic Sites 
for the Immediate Family Members of Veterans and Active Military 
Personnel
Received by the Clerk of the House on March 12, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed 
pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative HEPLER of Woolwich.
Cosponsored by Senator RENY of Lincoln and
Representatives: DILL of Old Town, FROST of Belgrade, PLUECKER of Warren, SARGENT 
of York.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §1819-A, as amended by PL 2009, c. 440, §1, is further amended 
to read:
§1819-A.  Day use passes for certain veterans; immediate family members
Notwithstanding section 1819, the commissioner shall enter into a memorandum of 
agreement with the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management for the 
issuance of a free day use pass to state parks and historic sites to each veteran determined 
by the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management to meet the criteria 
established in Title 37‑B, section 8 and that veteran's immediate family members.  The pass 
entitles the holder to admission free of charge to all state parks and historic sites. For 
purposes of this section, "immediate family members" means the veteran's spouse, 
domestic partner and dependent children.
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §1819-B, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 220, §2, is amended to read:
§1819-B.  Day use passes for active military personnel; immediate family members
Notwithstanding section 1819, the commissioner shall enter into a memorandum of 
agreement with the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management for the 
issuance of a free day use pass to state parks and historic sites to each active duty military 
member determined by the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management 
to meet the criteria established in Title 37‑B, section 7 and that active duty military 
member's immediate family members.  The pass entitles the holder, and the holder's spouse 
and children when accompanied by the holder, to admission free of charge to all state parks 
and historic sites.  For purposes of this section, "immediate family members" means the 
active duty military member’s spouse, domestic partner and dependent children.
SUMMARY
This bill directs the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to issue 
free day use passes to state parks and historic sites to immediate family members of 
qualifying veterans and active duty military members as determined by the Department of 
Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management.  The language of the bill allows 
immediate family members to hold their own passes, rather than only permitting family 
members to use the qualifying veteran's or active duty military member's pass. The bill 
defines "immediate family members" as the spouse, domestic partner and dependent 
children of a veteran or active duty military member.