Bill Text: NJ A1134 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes Women Veterans Coordinator in DMVA.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-06 - Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading [A1134 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A1134-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblywoman SHAMA A. HAIDER
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Women Veterans Coordinator in DMVA.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing a Women Veterans Coordinator and supplementing chapter 3 of Title 38A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Adjutant General of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shall appoint a Women Veterans Coordinator.
b. The coordinator shall be a veteran, and shall work in collaboration with State agencies and appropriate groups to assist women veterans who have been discharged or released under other than dishonorable conditions from the United States Armed Forces, or a Reserve component thereof, including the New Jersey National Guard.
c. At a minimum, the coordinator shall:
(1) assist women veterans with issues including, but not limited to, employment, education, counseling, housing, social and medical services, and other areas of concern to women veterans;
(2) identify, develop, plan, organize, and coordinate Statewide programs and services to meet the needs of women veterans;
(3) develop and distribute informational materials for women veterans and their spouses and dependents regarding veterans' benefits and other benefit programs that provide services and resources to women veterans and their spouses and dependents; and
(4) make recommendations to the Adjutant General to ensure compliance with existing polices and regulations pertaining to the needs of women veterans on the State and federal level, and make recommendations regarding the improvement of benefits and services to women veterans.
d. The coordinator shall hold quarterly meetings with women veterans. The coordinator shall make recommendations to the Legislature and Governor annually or more often, if necessary, concerning existing or proposed programs, or legislation to further the objectives of this section.
e. The Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shall promulgate, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Adjutant General of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to appoint a veteran to serve as the Women Veterans Coordinator.
The coordinator will help women veterans who have been discharged or released under other than dishonorable conditions from the United States Armed Forces, or a Reserve component thereof, including the New Jersey National Guard.
At a minimum, the coordinator will:
work to assist women veterans with issues including, but not limited to, employment, education, counseling, housing, social and medical services, and other areas of concern to women veterans;
identify, develop, plan, organize, and coordinate Statewide programs and services to meet the needs of women veterans;
develop and distribute informational materials regarding benefits and programs that provide services and resources to women veterans and their families; and
make recommendations to the Adjutant General to ensure compliance with existing polices and regulations pertaining to the needs of women veterans on the State and federal level, and make recommendations regarding the improvement of benefits and services to women veterans.
The coordinator will hold quarterly meetings, and make annual recommendations to the Legislature and Governor concerning existing or proposed programs, or legislation to further the objectives of the bill.
