Bill Text: NJ S955 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes Military Suicide Prevention Task Force.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [S955 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S955-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Military Suicide Prevention Task Force.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing a Military Suicide Prevention Task Force and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of Human Services, shall establish a Military Suicide Prevention Task Force. The purpose of the task force shall be to reduce military suicides and provide a plan for the elimination of all military suicides. The task force shall recommend comprehensive strategies aimed at addressing suicide among members of the military, both active duty and veterans, and shall recommend ways to establish and execute plans and programs to implement those strategies.
2. The task force shall consist of 17 members:
a. The following members, or their designees, shall serve ex-officio:
(1) The Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs;
(2) The Commissioner of the Department of Human Services;
(3) The Attorney General;
(4) The State Treasurer; and
(5) The Commissioner of the Department of Transportation.
b. The Adjutant General shall appoint two public members, each from different parts of the State, at least one of whom is a woman, as follows:
(1) one of whom is a veteran; and
(2) one of whom is a disabled veteran.
c. The Commissioner of the Department of Human Services shall appoint two public members, each from different parts of the State, as follows:
(1) one member of the public with knowledge or experience in working with homeless persons; and
(2) one member of the public with knowledge or experience in working with persons with disabilities.
d. The President of the Senate shall appoint two public members, each from different parts of the State, as follows:
(1) one member of the public who has knowledge or experience in veterans' employment issues; and
(2) one member of the public who is a veteran.
e. The Speaker of the General Assembly shall appoint two public members, each from different parts of the State, as follows:
(1) one member of the public who has knowledge or experience in military-related mental health issues; and
(2) one member of the public who is a disabled veteran.
f. The Governor shall appoint four public members, each from different parts of the State, as follows:
(1) one member of the public who is a female veteran or female disabled-veteran;
(2) one member of the public who has knowledge or experience with treating post-traumatic stress disorder or total brain injury;
(3) one member of the public with knowledge or experience in treating military sexual trauma; and
(4) one member of the public with knowledge or experience in issues relevant to women in the military.
The public members shall be appointed no later than 60 days after the effective date of this act. The public members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and within the limits of funds available to the task force.
3. a. Each public member of the task force shall serve for a term of five years, except that in making the first appointments, three shall serve for a term of two years, three shall serve for a term of three years, three shall serve for a term of four years, and three shall serve for a term of five years. The length of the respective term for each public member of the first task force shall be determined by lot at the organization of the task force.
The members shall be eligible for reappointment and shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified, and the term of the successor of any incumbent shall be calculated from the expiration of the term of that incumbent. A vacancy occurring in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, but for the unexpired term only.
b. The task force shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of a majority of its members. The members of the task force shall elect, by a majority of the total membership of the task force, one of its public members to serve as chair and one of its public members to serve as vice-chair during that member's term.
A new chair and vice-chair, as appropriate, shall be elected upon the expiration of the public member's term, even if that member remains on the task force until that member's successor is duly appointed and qualified.
c. The task force shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.
d. The task force shall, at a minimum, meet every other month and may meet more frequently as needed, based upon a vote of a majority of the members.
e. The majority of authorized members of the task force shall be required to conduct official business.
f. The task force may incur expenses within the limits of funds available to it in order to carry out its duties and responsibilities.
4. It shall be the duty of the task force to:
identify and review the issues and concerns facing active duty service members and veterans;
recommend measures the State should take to address the issues and concerns, including legislation if appropriate;
examine data, research, programs, and initiatives related to military suicide, including the physical, social, emotional, and mental impact of military service, with a focus on deployments;
identify evidence-based best practices to increase awareness of veteran suicide prevention hot lines, in New Jersey or nationally, and other crisis resources with proven effectiveness to reduce military suicide;
identify effective strategies for promoting lifelong physical, social, emotional, and mental health of service members and veterans, and develop recommendations to implement those strategies;
review the laws, regulations, and public policies governing services provided to active duty service members and veterans of this State, and determine whether those services are currently being performed in the most effective manner; and
determine whether those services can be performed more efficiently and effectively by a county or municipal government and whether services now being provided by a county or municipal government may be more efficiently and effectively performed by State government.
5. a. The Department of the Military and Veterans Affairs shall assign such personnel to serve the task force as the task force may request.
b. The task force is authorized to call upon any department, office, division, or agency of the State, or of any county, municipality, or school district of the State, to supply such data, program reports and other information, personnel, and assistance, as it deems necessary to discharge its responsibilities and duties. The departments, offices, divisions, and agencies, to the extent possible and not inconsistent with any other law of this State, shall cooperate with the task force and shall furnish it with such information, personnel, and assistance as may be necessary or helpful to accomplish the purposes of the task force.
6. The task force shall submit periodic reports, no less than twice a year, concerning the findings and actions related to its duties to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature.
The report shall, at a
minimum, consist of factual findings and recommendations for policies,
legislation, and programs to reduce and eliminate military suicides.
7. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of Human Services, to establish a Military Suicide Prevention Task Force. The purpose of the task force will be to reduce military suicides and provide a plan for the elimination of all military suicides. The task force will recommend comprehensive strategies aimed at addressing suicide among members of the military, active duty and veterans, and will recommend ways to establish and execute plans and programs to implement those strategies.
The task force will consist of 17 members, and it will be the duty of the task force to:
identify and review the issues and concerns facing active duty service members and veterans;
recommend measures the State should take to address the issues and concerns, including legislation if appropriate;
examine data, research, programs, and initiatives related to military suicide, including the physical, social, emotional, and mental impact of military service, with a focus on deployments;
identify evidence-based best practices to increase awareness of veteran suicide prevention hot lines, in New Jersey or nationally, and other crisis resources with proven effectiveness to reduce military suicide;
identify effective strategies for promoting lifelong physical, social, emotional, and mental health of service members and veterans, and develop recommendations to implement those strategies;
review the laws, regulations, and public policies governing services provided to active duty service members and veterans of this State, and determine whether those services are currently being performed in the most effective manner; and
determine whether those services can be performed more efficiently and effectively by a county or municipal government and whether services now being provided by a county or municipal government may be more efficiently and effectively performed by State government.
The task force will submit periodic reports, no less than twice a year, concerning the findings and actions related to its duties to the Governor and the Legislature.
