Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Plattsburgh) announced that legislation he authored to create a standard procedure for removing unruly visitors from campgrounds has been signed into law (Ch. 654 of 2019).

“Camping is a fun outdoors activity that the entire family can enjoy, but only if everyone is being respectful of the campgrounds and their fellow campers,” said Jones. “When guests fail to pay or become disruptive, they hurt everyone’s experience. This law helps ensure that campground owners have a fair and straightforward process to remove disrespectful guests.”

This legislation brings campgrounds in line with hotels, allowing campground owners to call law enforcement to remove disruptive guests if the behavior persists after a verbal or written warning. The guest’s property would be stored on the campgrounds or placed in storage, and they would be notified via certified mail to retrieve their items. Guests would also be reimbursed for any unused portions of prepaid fees. The new law also clarifies that campgrounds are for recreational, camping, travel or seasonal use, and campers are not subject to eviction procedures.