Background:

Discover Pass and Day-Use Permits.

The Discover Pass establishes a user fee for motor vehicle access to recreational areas managed by the State Parks and Recreation Commission (State Parks), the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). A Discover Pass costs $30 per year, while a day-use permit costs $10 per day. Certain DFW lands may also be accessed with a Vehicle Access Pass that is issued in conjunction with certain hunting and recreational fishing licenses. The penalty for a failure to comply with the Discover Pass, Vehicle Access Pass, or day-use permit requirements is $99, although a person that presents a court with proof of the purchase of a Discover Pass within 15 days of the violation must have their penalty reduced to $59.

Wheeled all-terrain vehicles, which are one class of vehicle used for off-road recreation purposes, are not included among the types of motor vehicles required to display a Discover Pass, day-use permit, or vehicle access permit, so long as the wheeled all-terrain vehicle is properly registered.

State Parks may designate up to 12 days during which state parks can be legally accessed without having to display a discover pass or day-use permit. At least three of the pass-free days at state parks must be on weekends and, when practicable, must be timed with similar free access days offered by the National Park Service.

Department of Fish and Wildlife Fishing and Recreational Access.

The DFW is responsible for the management of the state's fish and wildlife resources, and establishes basic rules and regulations governing the time, place, manner, and methods used to harvest or enjoy fish and wildlife.

A Vehicle Access Pass is a pass issued during the purchase of a qualifying hunting or fishing license by the DFW. A vehicle access pass may be displayed instead of a Discover Pass or day-use permit on DFW recreation lands.

The DFW is authorized to designate family fishing days when licenses and catch record cards are not required in order to fish or harvest shellfish. Under this authority, the DFW has established an annual free fishing weekend in early June, when fishing licenses and vehicle access passes are not required.

Passes Issued by the State Parks and Recreation Commission.

State Parks charges admission and camping fees for state park access. Under the park passes program, State Parks issues different park passes for specially designated groups that qualify for discounts or exemptions from park fees:

the Lifetime Veteran Disability Pass entitles any state resident who is a veteran with at least a 30 percent service-related disability to free admission to any state park and waiver of any campsite fees and reservation fees;
a Senior Citizen's pass, which entitles a person 62 or older, meets Washington residency requirements, and has an income low enough to that person would qualify for a property tax exemption to a 50 percent reduction in campsite fees and free State Park access; and
a Foster Home Pass for persons who provide out-of-home care to a child is entitled to free admission to any state park and waiver of any campsite fees, so long as the child receiving care is present.

Disabled Veteran's Lifetime Passes, Senior Passes, and Foster Home Passes may be revoked by State Parks for cause, including residency outside Washington, violation of park rules, fraudulent use of a pass, and refusal to display a pass to State Parks employees upon request.

During the winter months of November through March, persons that hold a seasonal sno-park permit issued by State Parks are exempt from discover pass or day use permit display requirements at sno-park sites.

William D. Ruckelshaus Center Process.

In 2016, State Parks was directed via an operating budget proviso to work with the William D. Ruckelshaus Center (Center) or another neutral third party to coordinate a process to develop options and recommendations to improve the consistency, equity, and simplicity in recreational access fee systems. The Center was chosen to facilitate this process and convened a leadership team of parties representing a variety of interest groups that met throughout 2017. The DNR, DFW, State Parks, and other state agencies participated in an advisory capacity to the leadership team in the process facilitated by the Center. In a report to the Legislature issued in December, 2017, the leadership team recommended three possible recreational access schemas that would meet the consistency, equity, and simplicity criteria of the budget proviso, including:

a pass-free access package that would replace the Discover Pass (identified by the leadership team as the recommended option);
a two-vehicle pass system similar to the existing Discover Pass, but with some standardization of existing exemptions and additional coordination with federal access systems; and
a one-vehicle access pass with a lower price as compared to a two-vehicle pass, and with a similar standardization of existing exemptions and additional coordination with federal access systems.

In conjunction with these packages, the leadership team's report to the Legislature identified several recommendations that were common across the three packages, including:

coordination of fees with federal agencies;
standardizing certain fees and exemptions applicable across State Parks, DNR, and DFW recreational lands; and
eliminating the need for dual-registered Off-Road Vehicles to display a Discover Pass.

Summary of Bill:

Special Passes Issued by State Parks to Disabled Veterans and Seniors.

A lifetime veteran's disability pass issued by State Parks is expanded to provide free access to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) recreational lands, in addition to State Parks recreational lands. State Parks must develop an access pass, to be displayed instead of a Discover Pass, for recipients of Lifetime Veteran's Disability Passes. The access pass is to be the equivalent of a Discover Pass and entitles its holder to all Discover Pass benefits, so long as the person who was issued the pass is a passenger or driver in the vehicle accessing the recreational site.

Lifetime Veteran's Disability Passes no longer entitle pass holders to an exemption from reservation fees charged by State Parks.

State Parks must require persons that hold Lifetime Veteran's Disability Passes and Senior Passes to recertify every five years that they meet their pass's income, residential, and disability status eligibility criteria, as applicable. The Senior or Lifetime Veteran's Disability Passes of persons that fail to recertify are declared invalid until recertified by State Parks. In addition, all State Parks passes may be revoked at any time for cause.

A person that has been cited for failure to properly display a pass or day-use permit at a recreation site must have their penalty reduced from $99 to $59 if the person provides a court with evidence within 15 days that the person has obtained a Lifetime Veterans Disability Pass.

Off-Road Vehicle Access.

Motor vehicles used for off-road recreation that have been transported to a recreation site managed for off-road recreation are not required to display a Discover Pass, Vehicle Access Pass, or day-use permit if the transporting vehicle displays a valid pass or permit and remains parked at the site.

Sno-Park Permits.

During the winter months of November through March, persons who have a sno-park permit, whether daily or seasonal, are exempt from Discover Pass or day-use permit display requirements at designated sno-parks.

Free Access Days.

The scope of access provided by the annual free access days designated by State Parks is expanded to apply to all recreation lands operated by State Parks, DNR, and DFW, rather than only providing free access to State Parks sites. The 12 free days must be timed to correspond, when practicable, to DFW free fishing days, in addition to the current timing coordination with free National Park days. State Parks must consult with the DNR and DFW in designating the maximum of 12 free access days per calendar year.