If tax dollars are going to be used to rebuild the New Jersey Shore, taxpayers shouldn't also have to pay to dig their toes into the sand,

says.

"If we're being asked to invest this money, then the people of New Jersey should get some benefit from this," Doherty said.

"Extremely frustrated" with the current business model of the popular coastline, Doherty, R-Warren/Hunterdon/Somerset, has introduced a bill along with state Sen. President Steve Sweeney, D-Cumberland/Gloucester/Salem, that would require free beach access in all communities set to receive federal and state aid in the wake of

.

President

on Friday, a day after a visit from

requested $60.4 billion to help affected states address damage done by Sandy, which particularly devastated the coastline.

Doherty's bill would restrict shore municipalities that accept Sandy-related federal or state aid and grants from adopting or enforcing ordinances that require fees for beach access.

In a release Monday, Sweeney said that since the rebuilding process is geared up to be a collaborative effort between shore residents and visitors, the perks of the state's beaches should also be shared.

"Where taxpayers are paying for beach restoration, they shouldn't be taxed a second time just to walk on the sand," Sweeney said. "As New Jerseyans, we are all in the recovery and rebuilding process together. That means we should all be able to enjoy the reopening of our state's greatest natural resource together, too."

Currently only a handful of beaches across the entire coast, such as Atlantic City and the Wildwoods, are free and open to the public. The majority of the state's beaches require visitors to purchase tags for daily, monthly or seasonal access.

Pointing to the wide range of free beaches offered in other states such as South Carolina and California, Doherty said that paying to use the beach in New Jersey is based on a "defective system" that promotes itself as an exclusive destination for a few rather than a welcoming resort area that accommodates casual tourists.

"Don't ask us to use our hard-earned tax dollars if you're just going to rebuild the shore under its current model," Doherty said.

As for the so-called "day trippers" at the shore, Doherty said the long established business model does more to keep them away than entice them to come.

"They know how difficult and expensive it is to enjoy a day at the beach," Doherty said.

If the bill passes, Doherty said he'd like to see the state's beaches remain free for good, not just while they're accepting federal and state aid.

, of the

, said he supports the legislation adding that "towns for too long have been overcharging people."

Tittel said that charging visitors to use the beach after the destruction caused by Sandy could potentially send tourists and subsequent business elsewhere. Free beaches, he said, would instead help increase tourism efforts.

"Those beaches belong to the people of New Jersey," Tittel said.

But not everyone shares Tittel's view. Some officials in seaside towns say the revenue from charging for beach access is critical to providing adequate services to beachgoers, both locally and from out of town.

"If the state says the beaches are free, then the town's going to abandon the beaches," Seaside Park lifeguard captain Joe Gomulka told The Star-Ledger in a recent interview. The newspaper reported that Seaside Park spends about $400,000 a year just on lifeguards.

Forks Township resident Rachel Haddad, who owns several Jersey Shore homes in Brigantine and Atlantic City, noted that Brigantine uses revenue from beach badges to keep the beach clean, but she said her personal opinion is that Brigantine can find the money elsewhere.

She said she supports free beach access.

"The best things in life are free, and the beach is one of the best things in life," she said.