Senate Bill No. 596
               Senate Bill No. 596

              PUBLIC ACT NO. 98-149


AN ACT CONCERNING  THE SUPPLYING OF ELECTRICITY TO
CERTAIN CAMP SITES  AND  THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FEES
FOR CERTAIN STATE PARKS.


    Be it enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section 1. Subsection  (a)  of section 16-19ff
of  the  general  statutes  is  repealed  and  the
following is substituted in lieu thereof:
    (a)  Notwithstanding  any  provisions  of  the
general statutes to  the  contrary,  each electric
company  OR  ELECTRIC   DISTRIBUTION  COMPANY,  as
defined  by  section   16-1,   shall   allow   the
installation  of  submeters   at   a  recreational
campground or in any other location as approved by
the department AND  SHALL  PROVIDE  ELECTRICITY TO
SUCH CAMPGROUND AT  A  RATE  NO  GREATER  THAN THE
RESIDENTIAL  RATE FOR  THE  SERVICE  TERRITORY  IN
WHICH THE CAMPGROUND IS LOCATED.
    Sec. 2. Section 23-26 of the general statutes,
as amended by  section  2 of public act 97-229, is
repealed and the  following is substituted in lieu
thereof:
    (a) The commissioner  may  (1) provide for the
collection of fees  for  parking,  admission, boat
launching and other  uses of state parks, forests,
boat  launches  and   other   state   recreational
facilities, (2) establish  from  time  to time the
daily and seasonal  amount thereof, (3) enter into
contractual relations with  other  persons for the
operation  of  concessions,  (4)  establish  other
sources of revenue  to be derived from services to
the general public  using  such parks, forests and
facilities, (5) employ  such  assistants as may be
necessary for the  collection of such revenue. The
commissioner shall deposit  such  revenue  derived
therefrom with the  State Treasurer in the General
Fund. On and  after  July 1, 1992, any increase in
any fee or  any  establishment  of a new fee under
this section shall  be  by  regulations adopted in
accordance  with the  provisions  of  chapter  54.
Notwithstanding the provisions  of  this  section,
the commissioner may  enter into an agreement with
any municipality under  which the municipality may
retain fees collected  by  municipal  officers  at
state boat launches  when  state employees are not
on duty.
    (b)   NOTWITHSTANDING   THE    PROVISIONS   OF
SUBSECTION (a) OF  THIS  SECTION, THE COMMISSIONER
MAY ESTABLISH FEES  FOR  THE  PUBLIC  USE  OF  THE
MANSION  AT  HARKNESS   MEMORIAL   STATE  PARK  IN
WATERFORD, THE ELLIE  MITCHELL  PAVILION  AT ROCKY
NECK STATE PARK  IN  EAST LYME AND GILLETTE CASTLE
IN EAST HADDAM PROVIDED NO FEE SHALL BE CHARGED TO
ANY GROUP ORGANIZED  AS  A  NONPROFIT  CORPORATION
UNDER 26 USC  501 (c)(3) FOR PURPOSES OF PROVIDING
SUPPORT TO SUCH  PARKS  OR  FACILITIES AND FURTHER
PROVIDED THE COMMISSIONER SHALL SPECIFY PROCEDURES
AND CRITERIA FOR  THE  SELECTION  OF  ANY  PRIVATE
BUSINESS WHICH IS  ENGAGED BY THE STATE TO PROVIDE
SERVICES DURING ANY  SUCH  PUBLIC  USE, INCLUDING,
BUT NOT LIMITED  TO, CATERING SERVICES. SUCH FEES,
PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA  SHALL  BE EFFECTIVE UNTIL
JUNE 30, 1999,  OR  UNTIL REGULATIONS ARE ADOPTED,
WHICHEVER IS SOONER. REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING SUCH
FEES, PROCEDURES AND  CRITERIA SHALL BE ADOPTED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER 54 ON OR
BEFORE JULY 1, 1999. SUCH FEES SHALL BE COMPARABLE
WITH RENTS AND CHARGES OF SIMILAR PROPERTIES BASED
ON FAIR MARKET RATES.
    [(b)] (c) The  commissioner shall issue to any
resident of the  state,  upon  payment  of  a  fee
established     by    said     commissioner,     a
nontransferable   Connecticut  private   passenger
motor  vehicle pass  which  permits  free  parking
throughout the calendar  year  at  any state park,
forest, boat launch  or  other  state recreational
facility provided the  commissioner  shall  not be
required to issue  such a pass to any park, forest
or facility which  is  wholly managed by a private
concessionaire and may require payment of fees for
special events.
    [(c)] (d) The  commissioner shall issue to any
resident of the  state  who is sixty-five years of
age or older,  without  fee,  upon  application of
such  resident, a  nontransferable  lifetime  pass
which shall permit  free  parking,  admission  and
boat access parking  for  use  at  any state park,
forest or state  recreational  facility,  provided
the commissioner shall  not  be  required to issue
such  a pass  for  use  of  any  park,  forest  or
facility which is  wholly  managed  by  a  private
concessionaire and may require payment of fees for
special events.
    Sec. 3. This  act  shall  take effect from its
passage.

Approved June 4, 1998