Reddington-Hughes Proposes Legislation to Exempt Veterans and Seniors from Passport to Parks Fee

HARTFORD – In response to a policy enacted by the majority party last legislative session, Rep. Reddington-Hughes (R-Woodbury) has proposed legislation to reduce vehicle registration fees for seniors, veterans, and active military members. Last year, the fee was expanded by state Democrats, making it more difficult for individuals on fixed incomes to afford their vehicle registrations and access Connecticut’s state parks. The proposed bill, H.B. 5141, has been referred to the legislature’s Environment Committee.

“When the majority failed to make meaningful budget adjustments last session, they also took the opportunity to expand the Passport to Parks fee. This fee is applied to motor vehicle registrations. Previously, these populations were exempt from the fee, providing a small benefit that allowed them to access our beautiful parks and offered some relief to their overall cost of living,” said Reddington-Hughes, a member of the Environment Committee.

Reddington-Hughes opposed the spending package last year, as most of the funds earmarked for COVID-related relief were redirected to higher education and several politically motivated projects, including a $20,000 allocation for a dishwasher at Wilton High School and a $50,000 allocation to East Hartford’s Little League.

“I spoke on the floor against the one-time handouts, especially given that people were, and continue to be, struggling to pay their electric bills – costs that directly increased due to the pandemic. I believe the money was misspent, and we are facing many unknowns this year with the absence of federal relief dollars. I also think the fee increase, which impacts some of Connecticut’s most vulnerable populations, is a consequence of the majority party’s failure to make substantive budget adjustments,” said Reddington-Hughes.

The bill will be considered by the Environment Committee in the coming weeks. Reddington-Hughes is hopeful that the concept will be given a public hearing.

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