1. A. The state parks division of the energy, minerals and natural resources department shall provide to a veteran residing in the state:

   1. (1) one day-use pass for unlimited entry into state parks or recreation areas operated by the division; and
   2. (2) one camping pass for unlimited use of camping areas operated by the division.

2. B. As used in this section, "veteran" means a New Mexico resident who:

   1. (1) was regularly enlisted, drafted, inducted or commissioned in the:

      1. (a) armed forces of the United States and was accepted for and assigned to active duty in the armed forces of the United States;
      2. (b) army reserve, navy reserve, marine corps reserve, air force reserve, coast guard reserve, space force reserve, army national guard or air national guard and was accepted for and assigned to duty for a minimum of six continuous years; or
      3. (c) United States public health service commissioned corps or the national oceanic and atmospheric administration commissioned officer corps and served in the capacity of a commissioned officer while on active duty in defense of the United States; and
   2. (2) was not separated from such service under circumstances amounting to dishonorable discharge.

History: Laws 1999, ch. 174, § 2; 2007, ch. 13, § 1; 2025, ch. 11, § 1.

ANNOTATIONS

The 2025 amendment, effective June 20, 2025, amended an existing section that provided free state park passes to disabled veterans to provide to each New Mexico veteran one day-use pass for unlimited entry into state parks or recreation areas and one camping pass for unlimited use of camping areas operated by the state parks division of the energy, minerals and natural resources department, and defined "veteran" for purposes of this section; in the section heading, after "passes to" deleted "disabled"; in Subsection A, in the introductory clause, after "shall provide to a" deleted "fifty percent or more disabled", in Paragraph A(2), after "one" deleted "three-day", after "camping pass" deleted "per year for the" and added "for unlimited", and after "division" deleted "whether for consecutive or nonconsecutive days"; and in Subsection B, in the introductory clause, after the subsection designation, deleted "Proof of disability satisfactory to the division is required to obtain the free passes" and added "As used in this section, 'veteran' means a New Mexico resident who:", and added Paragraphs B(1) and B(2).

The 2007 amendment, effective July 1, 2007, changed the former provision in Subsection A that provided for a one-day use pass for entry into a state park for a one-hundred percent disabled veteran to provide for passes to a fifty percent or more disabled veteran; added Paragraph (1) of Subsection A to provide for a one-day use pass; and added Paragraph (2) of Subsection A to provide for a three-day camping pass.