Bill Text: NJ S197 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes Military Funeral Honors Grant Program to provide grants to certain veteran organizations that provide military funeral honors.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [S197 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S197-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator VINCENT J. POLISTINA
District 2 (Atlantic)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Military Funeral Honors Grant Program to provide grants to certain veteran organizations that provide military funeral honors.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a grant program for certain veteran organizations that provide military funeral honors, and supplementing Title 38A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Military Funeral Honors Grant Program Act."
2. As used in this act, P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill),:
"Department" means the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs established pursuant to N.J.S.38A:3-1 et seq.
"Veteran organization" means a nonprofit veteran organization that provides military funeral honors in the State and qualifies as a section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) tax-exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code, or a federally chartered Veterans Service Organization.
3. a. The Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shall establish a grant program to provide grants in an amount not to exceed $75 to qualified veteran organizations to be used for the providing of military funeral honors in the State.
b. In establishing the grant program, the department:
(1) shall develop procedures for the submission of grant applications and eligibility criteria for the awarding of grant funds;
(2) may place such limits on the amount of grant funds awarded or on eligible costs as the department may deem necessary and appropriate; and
(3) shall pay the grant amount to a qualified veteran organization for services performed at each funeral service, but may decrease the amount of the grant for services performed at a second or subsequent funeral when a qualified veteran organization performs services at more than one funeral on the same day. When determining the amount of the grant for services at a second or subsequent funeral, the department shall consider the actual expenses incurred by the organization and its members for providing the services, including mileage and transportation costs.
c. A qualified veteran organization seeking to participate in the grant program shall submit an application in such form as shall be required by the department. An application shall include information that the department shall determine is necessary to administer the grant program.
d. The department shall issue payment of the grant amount, subject to the availability of grant funds, following the submission of satisfactory proof by a qualified veteran organization of the expenditure or planned expenditure of the grant funds.
e. In order to receive a grant, a qualified veteran organization shall enter into a grant agreement with the department.
f. The department may, either through the adoption of rules and regulations, or through the provision of a grant agreement made pursuant to this subsection, establish terms governing the use of the grant award.
4. a. To implement the grant program, there shall be established and maintained a special revolving fund to be known as the "Military Funeral Honors Grant Fund."
b. The department shall administer the grant fund, which shall be credited with:
(1) moneys that the Legislature may appropriate;
(2) moneys received by the department as gifts, grants, or donations, including grants accepted by the Adjutant General pursuant to section 12 of P.L.1987, c.444 (C.38A:3-6.2);
(3) any return on investment of moneys deposited in the grant fund;
(4) fees collected, if any, from applicants pursuant to subsection d. of this section; and
(5) other moneys made available, including, but not limited to, funds provided by agreement with private individuals or the federal government to effectuate the purposes of this act, P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
c. The moneys in the grant fund, which the department determines not to be needed for current responsibilities of the grant fund, may be invested in any direct obligations deemed appropriate.
d. The department may charge a nominal fee in connection with applications for participation in the grant program as it deems reasonable.
e. The department may claim from the grant fund an amount, which shall not exceed five percent of the moneys annually appropriated by the Legislature, in any fiscal year, to cover administrative expenses.
f. The Adjutant General shall promulgate rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L 1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
5. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a Military Funeral Honors Grant Program to provide grants to certain nonprofit organizations that provide military funeral honors.
The Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs will establish a grant program to provide grants in an amount up to $75 to qualified veteran organizations to be used for the providing of military funeral honors in the State. Under the bill, "veteran organization" means a nonprofit veteran organization that provides military funeral honors in the State and qualifies as a section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) federal tax-exempt organization.
Under the bill, the department will develop procedures for the submission of grant applications and eligibility criteria for the awarding of grant funds. The grants will not exceed $75 per funeral. The department may decrease the amount of the grant for services performed at a second or subsequent funeral when a qualified veteran organization performs services at more than one funeral on the same day.
To implement the grant program, there will be established and maintained a special revolving fund to be known as the "Military Funeral Honors Grant Fund." The fund will be credited with: moneys that the Legislature may appropriate; moneys received by the department as gifts, grants, or donations, including grants accepted by the Adjutant General pursuant to law; any return on investment of moneys deposited in the grant fund; fees collected, if any, from applicants; and other moneys made available for the purposes of the grant program.
The department may charge a nominal fee in connection with applications for participation in the grant program as it deems reasonable. The department may claim from the grant fund an amount not to exceed five percent of the moneys annually appropriated to cover administrative expenses.
