Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VICTORIA A. FLYNN
District 13 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes program within veterans' memorial homes to provide support to families of residents.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a program to provide support to families of residents of the veterans' memorial homes 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 Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs shall establish a program within the veterans' memorial homes to provide comprehensive support to family members of residents. The purpose of this program is to increase the accessibility of information and resources to family members of residents by placing these services within the veterans' memorial homes. This program shall be administered by the resident advocate of each veterans' memorial home as established by section 1 of P.L. 2021, c.219 (C.38A:3-2b8).
b. The resident advocate shall:
(1) develop, in cooperation with the Administrator of each veterans' memorial home, a program to provide information and resources to family members of residents upon request in a timely manner. This shall include but need not be limited to:
health updates on the resident to the extent permissible;
facility updates and events;
State and federal benefits available for veterans, including applications and any additional paperwork;
State and federal resources available for veterans, including applications and any additional paperwork;
financial assistance available for veterans;
charities that provide support for veterans; and
events at the veterans' memorial homes that are open to family members.
(2) develop, in cooperation with the Administrator of each veterans' memorial home, a program to provide counseling support to family members of residents. This shall include, but need not be limited to:
in-patient private and group counseling services for the resident in conjunction with their family members; and
information on counseling services available outside the veterans' memorial homes.
(3) notify the general public and family members of residents of the veterans' memorial homes that the program established by this section is available to family members.
c. As used in this act, "family member" means an individual who is a New Jersey resident and is the spouse, domestic partner, partner in a civil union, or child, whether of the whole blood or the half blood, or by adoption, of a resident of a State veterans' memorial home.
d. Within 90 days after the date of enactment of this section, and notwithstanding the provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et sq.) to the contrary, the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs shall, immediately upon filing proper notice with the Office of Administrative Law, adopt the rules and regulations prepared by the department to implement the family support programs established pursuant to this section.
The rules and regulations shall be in effect for a period not to exceed one year after the date of filing. These rules and regulations shall thereafter be adopted, amended, or readopted by the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs in accordance with the requirements of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et sq.).
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month next following enactment, except that the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs to establish a program within each veterans' memorial home to provide comprehensive support to family members of residents. The purpose of the program is to increase the accessibility of information and resources to family members of residents by placing these services within the veterans' memorial homes. The program shall be administered by the resident advocate of each veterans' memorial home as established by law.
The resident advocate will:
1) develop, in cooperation with the Administrator of each veterans' memorial home, a program to provide key information and resources to family members of residents upon request in a timely manner;
2) develop, in cooperation with the Administrator of each veterans' memorial home, a program to provide counseling support to family members of residents; and
3) notify the general public and family members of residents of the veterans' memorial homes that the program established by this section is available to family members.
The bill defines "family member" to include any individual who is a New Jersey resident and is the spouse, domestic partner, partner in a civil union, or child, whether of the whole blood or the half blood, or by adoption, of a resident of a State veteran's memorial home.