(a) All funds collected from rent paid by any person for the use of state park property for any special event of limited duration, including, but not limited to, weddings and receptions, shall be deposited into the Passport to the Parks account, established pursuant to section 23-15h, unless the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection enters into a written agreement, signs an instrument or issues a license which specifically states otherwise.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, any funds received by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be deposited in the Passport to the Parks account established pursuant to section 23-15h. Within said account there shall be a subaccount for each state park from which funds are collected pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, which subaccounts shall be held separate and apart from each other. Each subaccount shall be available to the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection for maintaining, making improvements to, erecting structures on or repairing the property, including houses and other buildings, of the state park for which such subaccount was established. Nothing in this section shall prevent the commissioner from obtaining or using funds from sources other than the Passport to the Parks account for the purposes described in this subsection. Funds in the Passport to the Parks account shall be used to supplement state funds appropriated for the general operation of state parks and shall not replace such appropriated funds for purposes of such general operation.
(c) On or before October 1, 2010, and semiannually thereafter, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall report to the Office of Fiscal Analysis on the state parks for which funds have been collected pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Such report shall include (1) the amount of funds received into the Passport to the Parks account, itemized by subaccount, (2) the amount of funds the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has expended from the account for each park, and (3) the projects for which such funds have been expended. Said commissioner shall post the same information on the department's Internet web site.
(P.A. 10-3, S. 19; P.A. 11-59, S. 10; 11-80, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 330.)
History: P.A. 10-3 effective April 14, 2010; P.A. 11-59 made a technical change in Subsec. (c), effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” and “Department of Environmental Protection” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” and “Department of Energy and Environmental Protection”, respectively, effective July 1, 2011; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting reference to maintenance, repair and improvement account, adding provision re funds collected from rent paid for use of state park property for special events to be deposited into the Passport to the Parks account, and deleting provision re receipt of funds from private or public sources, amended Subsec. (b) by replacing provision re funds to be deposited into General Fund and credited to maintenance, repair and improvement account with provision re funds to be deposited into Passport to the Parks account, and made conforming changes, effective January 1, 2018.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Title 23 - Parks, Forests and Public Shade Trees
Chapter 447 - State Parks and Forests
Section 23-5. - Public reservations; supervision.
Section 23-5a. - Natural area preserves. Declaration of policy.
Section 23-5c. - Natural area preserves system.
Section 23-5d. - Approval of preserve.
Section 23-5f. - Advisory committee.
Section 23-5g. - Cooperation with federal agencies.
Section 23-5h. - Acquisition of property.
Section 23-5i. - Responsibility of other public authorities.
Section 23-6. - Maintenance of state park and forest lands adjoining other states.
Section 23-7. - Memorials in state parks and reservations.
Section 23-8a. - Conveyance of certain state land previously held as protected open space.
Section 23-9. - Acquisition of property by eminent domain.
Section 23-9a. - Acquisition of easements for maintenance of dams.
Section 23-10. - Development of recreational areas.
Section 23-10a. - Designation of state hiking trails.
Section 23-10b. - Outdoor recreation-related services.
Section 23-10c. - Designation of trails for use by horseback riders.
Section 23-10d. - Equine Advisory Council.
Section 23-10h. - Heritage parks: Legislative policy.
Section 23-10i. - Designation of heritage parks. Public hearing. Designation of additional sites.
Section 23-11. - Licenses for use of portions of parks or forests.
Section 23-12. - Transfer of control of open spaces.
Section 23-13. - Animals for public parks.
Section 23-14. - Rights-of-way in state parks and forests.
Section 23-15. - State park receipts deposited in Passport to the Parks account.
Section 23-15a. - Use of state parks. Reimbursement of municipalities.
Section 23-15c. - Revenue from food service facilities, vending machines and stands in state parks.
Section 23-15d. - Request for information re state park concessions, services and amenities.
Section 23-15e. - Rents for special events of limited duration.
Section 23-15f. - Adopt-A-Park program. Financial sponsorship.
Section 23-15g. - Per-person admission fee for state parks. Report.
Section 23-15h. - Passport to the Parks account. Established. Subaccounts. Payments from account.
Section 23-16. - Leases of camp sites.
Section 23-16a. - Leasing of camping sites at shore parks. Pilot program.
Section 23-18. - State Park Police.
Section 23-19. - State Forester.
Section 23-20. - Powers and duties of commissioner.
Section 23-21. - Purchase and sale of land by commissioner.
Section 23-22. - Acquisition of land by exchange.
Section 23-23. - Purchase and sale of seeds and seedling stock.
Section 23-24. - Establishment of boundaries.
Section 23-24a. - Survey of boundaries of state parks and forest lands.
Section 23-25. - Granting of leases for public purposes.
Section 23-26a. - “All-terrain vehicle” defined.
Section 23-26b. - Certificate to operate all-terrain vehicles on state land.
Section 23-26c. - Availability of state land for use by persons operating all-terrain vehicles.
Section 23-26d. - Regulations re safety education courses for the operation of all-terrain vehicles.
Section 23-26e. - Operation of all-terrain vehicles on state land by certain minors.
Section 23-26f. - Regulations re operation of all-terrain vehicles.
Section 23-27. - Federal grants.
Section 23-27a to 23-27k. - Registration of private land for recreational purposes.