HB64

=**HB64 **=


 * Katie Kronz – Moderate – Texas **


 * Shelby Denison – Moderate – Texas **

**Title:** Say “No” in National Parks

**Purpose:** The main goal of our bill is to keep smoking, drugs, and alcohol out of all parts of the national parks. This will help keep crime out of our national parks. This will also decrease the chances of cigarettes and cigars lighting wildfires. The amount of litter in the national parks will decrease from this ban. The animals in the park will be healthier because they do not have the risk of accidentally ingesting drugs, alcohol, or other unsafe chemicals. The air will be cleaner and healthier for the animals in the park and visitors. The park as a whole will be better because the animals will be healthier, the air will be cleaner, the environment will be cleaner, and the people in the park will be able to enjoy the park, free from distractions.

**Eligibility:** An individual in a national park will be fined if he or she: 1.) Possesses alcohol 2.) Possesses cigars or cigarettes 3.) Possesses drugs 4.) Uses drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes in the park 5.) Fails drug or breathalyzer test

**Terms and Benefits:** If a visitor to the park is caught with cigars/cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs after entering the park, they will be fined $700. If the person is using the substance or they do not pass a drug or breathalyzer test, they will be fined $1,000. The other visitors to the park will better be able to enjoy the park. Enforcers of this bill would be park rangers. The park rangers will be paid the regular salary for park rangers, and no new rangers will be hired, unless the park decides to do so. Each park will receive two new four wheelers to make transportation throughout the park easier and more effective. The bill will be in effect indefinitely. The costs for the rangers will indefinitely be paid by the tax payers or donations. The signs to enforce the ban will be paid for by federal money and will be repaid by the fines that are collected.

**Fiscal Impact:** The average pay for a park ranger is $30,000-40,000 per year. However, there are already plenty of park rangers, some of whom are volunteers, and we do not plan on hiring new park rangers, unless a park decides to do so. There would be no smoking, alcohol, or drug signs posted around the parks, reminding the visitors of the law. Each park will be required to have at least 20 signs in the park. Each sign is $11.25. The total cost for all the signs for all 394 parks would be $88,650. These signs will be paid for by the tax dollars, but they will be paid back by the fines that are collected from violators. Each park is receiving two new four-wheelers for easier and more effective transportation around the park. Each four-wheeler is around $600. Two four-wheelers for each of the 394 parks will cost $472,800. The parks and park rangers are responsible for the cost of the fuel for the four-wheelers. In case that this bill gets sued or has to go to court for any other reason, we will have an associate general counsel for defense. Their yearly salary is $240,540. The bill will be advertised by newspaper ads. The cost of these ads will cost approximately $1,329. All together, the cost of this bill is only $803,319. The fines from violators of this bill will help pay back the cost.