Bill Text: NJ A2351 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Removes residency requirement for certain veteran and disabled veteran-owned businesses.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [A2351 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A2351-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CHRIS TULLY
District 38 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Removes residency requirement for certain veteran and disabled veteran-owned businesses.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning residency requirement for certain veteran and disabled veteran-owned businesses, and amending P.L.2015, c.116 and P.L.2011, c.147.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.2015, c.116 (C.52:32-31.2) is amended to read as follows:
2. As used in this act:
"Contracting agency" means the State or any board, commission, committee, authority or agency of the State.
"Department" means the Department of the Treasury.
"Disabled veteran" means a resident of this State or, for the purpose of small and medium-sized disabled veterans' businesses, as defined by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1974, c.80 (C.34:1B-4), a person who is certified by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs as having any degree of service-connected disability.
"Disabled veterans' business" means a business which has its principal place of business in the State, is independently owned and operated and at least 51% of which is owned and controlled by persons who are disabled veterans or a business which has its principal place of business in this State and has been officially verified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as a service disabled veteran-owned business for the purposes of department contracts pursuant to federal law.
"Disabled veterans' business set-aside contract" means a contract for goods, equipment, construction or services which is designated as a contract with respect to which bids are invited and accepted only from disabled veterans' businesses, or a portion of a contract when that portion has been so designated.
(cf: P.L.2015, c.116, s.2)
2. Section 2 of P.L.2011, c.147 (C.52:32-50) is amended to read as follows:
2. As used in this act:
"Authority" means the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.
"Contracting agency" means the State or any board, commission, authority or agency of the State.
"Department" means the New Jersey Department of the Treasury.
"Veteran" means any resident of this State or, for the purposes of small and medium-sized disabled veterans' businesses, as defined by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1974, c.80 (C.34:1B-4), any person now or hereafter who has been discharged honorably or under general honorable conditions who served in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States or a Reserve component thereof or the National Guard of this State or another state as defined in section 1 of P.L.1963, c.109 (C.38A:1-1), and shall include disabled veterans.
"Veteran-owned business" means a that has its principal place of business in the State, is independently owned and operated and at least 51 percent of the business is owned and controlled by persons who are veterans.
(cf: P.L.2019, c.500, s.13)
3. This act shall take effect on the 60th day after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill removes the requirement that the owner of a veteran or disabled veteran-owned business must be a New Jersey resident for the business to qualify as a veteran or disabled veteran-owned business. The change only applies to small and medium-sized businesses, as determined by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.
Under current law, to qualify and be certified as a veteran-owned or disabled veteran-owned business, 51 percent of the business, among other requirements, must be owned and controlled by persons who are a New Jersey resident and a veteran or disabled veteran. By removing the residency requirement, this will permit small and medium-sized veteran and disabled veteran-owned business owners residing in other states but with a business physically located in New Jersey to compete for New Jersey contracts. This will increase veteran and disabled veteran business opportunities in general and in particular within the State.
