Bill Text: NJ A2704 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires each county to establish and maintain veterans' service office.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-24 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [A2704 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A2704-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.
District 18 (Middlesex)
Assemblyman TIMOTHY J. EUSTACE
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblyman GORDON M. JOHNSON
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblyman RALPH R. CAPUTO
District 28 (Essex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle, Assemblymen Wilson, Mazzeo and Assemblywoman Pinkin
SYNOPSIS
Requires each county to establish and maintain veterans' service office.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act requiring each county to establish and maintain a veterans' service office and supplementing chapter 23 of Title 40 of the Revised Statute.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Each county governing body shall establish and maintain a veterans' service office to provide information to veterans residing in the county, in coordination with federal and State agencies and programs in surrounding counties. The purpose shall be to provide information and guidance to the State's veterans and their dependents, ensuring that they can find all of the information they need in one central location, including where to receive guidance in filing claims and on issues pertaining to employment, education, burial, counseling, housing, social and medical services, and other areas of concern to veterans and their dependents. Each county governing body shall make every effort to utilize existing personnel and resources to provide the services.
Each county governing body shall make available information for outreach services and activities for veterans on the county's website.
b. If a veterans' service office is established and maintained within a county by another governmental entity, the county governing body shall enter, whenever practicable, into an appropriate agreement with that entity to coordinate and consolidate the services provided to veterans and their dependents for efficacious use of personnel and resources.
c. The county governing body shall use the authority, as may be provided by law, to apply for and accept grants of money or property for the purpose of coordinating, improving, carrying out and otherwise enhancing outreach to veterans.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires each county governing body to establish and maintain a veterans' service office for providing information concerning services for the State's veterans and their dependents, ensuring that they can find all of the information they need in one central location. The office is to also make the information available on the internet.
If a veterans' service office is already established in a county, the county governing body must enter into appropriate agreements to coordinate and consolidate the services, if practicable.
The bill also requires the county governing body to apply for grants for the purpose of coordinating, improving, carrying out and otherwise enhancing outreach to veterans.
Each county governing body should make every effort to utilize existing personnel and resources to provide the services required by this legislation.
