(1) (a) A resident who is an active member of the National Guard may obtain from a regional office or the central office of the division, or at such other locations as may be determined by the division, an eagle annual pass free of charge. The pass is valid from the date the resident obtains it through the last day of the same month in the following year. An eagle annual pass entitles the resident active member of the National Guard to enter state park and recreation areas during the period that the pass is valid and when such areas are open.
(b) The commission, by rule, shall provide the manner by which an eagle annual pass must be displayed by the person to whom it was issued when the person enters a state park or state recreation area.
For purposes of this section, "active member of the National Guard" means an individual who is a resident, as defined in section 33-1-102 (38), and has presented to the division a driver's license or identification card issued under article 2 of title 42 and an original statement signed by, or by direction of, the personnel officer or commander of the individual's unit, a senior noncommissioned officer who is part of the individual's chain of command, or higher headquarters that identifies the individual and establishes that the individual is an active member of the National Guard.
The continued use of the eagle annual pass is subject to the holder's observance ofrules and regulations concerning the state park or state recreation area.
The general assembly may annually appropriate money to the division to implementthis section. If the general assembly does not make such an appropriation, the commission need not offer an eagle annual pass until the general assembly makes such an appropriation.
Source: L. 2020: Entire section added, (SB 20-041), ch. 224, p. 1100, § 1, effective September 14.