Relating to the enforcement of the lake Manawa and Waubonsie state park user fee pilot programs, and including effective date and applicability provisions

This bill relates to the lake Manawa and Waubonsie state park user fee pilot programs. The pilot programs currently require the department of natural resources (DNR) to charge entrance fees for each vehicle operated by a nonresident at lake Manawa and Waubonsie state parks. A nonresident may pay a fee for up to two annual passes, one per vehicle, which grant daily entrance into the state park through one year after the date of purchase. The pilot programs authorize DNR to charge separate fees to a resident and nonresident for campsite and shelter reservations and for beach access. Under current law, the pilot programs are repealed July 1, 2022. The bill replaces the annual pass option with a pass that grants daily entrance into the state park for the entire calendar year during which the pass was purchased. However, an annual pass purchased before the effective date of the bill pursuant to current law shall remain valid through one year after the date of purchase. The bill strikes the provision authorizing DNR to charge separate fees to a resident and nonresident for campsite and shelter reservations and for beach access and instead authorizes DNR to charge separate fees to a resident and nonresident for park amenities. The bill also authorizes DNR to identify situations in which a reservation fee or other fee will be accepted in lieu of an entrance fee or when an entrance fee will not be charged. The bill authorizes a temporary DNR officer employed at the state park to issue a citation to a person who violates a provision of the pilot project. The bill extends the date of the repeal to December 31, 2025, and takes effect upon enactment.