The bill introduced as General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5205 proposes amendments to the current motor vehicle registration fee structure in relation to the Passport to the Parks program. The bill, effective July 1, 2023, revises subsection (b) of section 14-49b of the general statutes. It maintains the existing fee structure of fifteen dollars for a triennial registration period or ten dollars for a biennial period for certain registration types, including passenger, motorcycle, motor home, combination, or antique vehicles. However, it introduces two exceptions: individuals aged sixty-five or older who opt for a one-year registration renewal will only pay five dollars, and more notably, veterans, as defined in section 27-103, who provide satisfactory documentation of their status, will be exempt from paying the fee altogether.

The bill specifies that the fee is to be identified as the "Passport to the Parks Fee" on registration forms and that the collected payments are to be deposited into the Passport to the Parks account as per section 23-15h. This fee is in addition to any other fees required for motor vehicle registration, and it is non-refundable under subsection (z) of section 14-49. The bill has received favorable recommendations from both the Veterans' and Military Affairs Committee and the Finance Committee. The insertions in the bill include the new exceptions for the fee payment and the effective date and section amendment details, while the deletions remove the previous language that did not provide for the veteran exemption.