Bill Text: NJ A1249 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Expands acceptable military separation forms for county veteran identification card; allows issuance to National Guard veterans of other states.*
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 5-2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-08 - Substituted by S1534/1771 (SCS) [A1249 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-A1249-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
217th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2016 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
Assemblyman CHRIS A. BROWN
District 2 (Atlantic)
SYNOPSIS
Expands acceptable military separation forms for county veteran identification card; allows issuance to National Guard veterans of other states; allows issuance only for certain classifications.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning eligibility for county identification cards for veterans and amending P.L.2012, c.30.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.2012, c.30 (C.40A:9-78.2) is amended to read as follows:
2. As used in this act, P.L.2012, c.30 (C.40A:9-78.1 et seq.), "veteran" means a person who has served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard 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 has been honorably discharged or released [under conditions other than dishonorable] , or generally discharged or released under honorable conditions, from such service.
(cf: P.L.2012, c.30, s.2)
2. Section 4 of P.L.2012, c.30 (C.40A:9-78.4) is amended to read as follows:
4. a. When such a program has been authorized, the county clerk or register of deeds and mortgages, as appropriate, shall issue an identification card to any veteran who is a resident of the county and who does not hold an identification card issued by the federal government that identifies the person as a veteran. The veteran identification card shall bear the true name, branch of the [armed forces] military in which the veteran served, date of card issuance, separation form submitted, and other identifying information as certified by the applicant for such veteran identification card. Every application for a veteran identification card shall be signed and certified by the applicant and shall be supported by such documentary evidence as the county clerk or register of deeds and mortgages, as appropriate, may require.
b. The documentary evidence required by subsection a. of this section shall include the applicant's DD-214 form issued by the federal government or approved separation forms as outlined by all branches of the military and duly recorded by the office. The county clerk or register of deeds and mortgages, as appropriate, shall require a copy of the [applicant's DD-214 form] documentary evidence submitted to be kept on file with the application for [a] the veteran identification card, and shall note the location of the original DD-214 or other approved separation form on that application form. The copy of the [DD-214] documentary evidence submitted and the application shall be kept confidential and shall not be considered a government record under P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.), except that they may be released to another government agency. The Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs shall assist in the identification, and verification as needed, of approved separation forms as outlined by all branches of the military and submitted by applicants.
(cf: P.L.2012, c.30, s.4)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Under current law, the document that a veteran is required to submit in order to receive a county veteran identification card is the DD-214. This bill would allow other approved separation forms, as specified by all branches of the military, to be accepted from an applicant for a county veteran identification card. The Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs would assist in the identification, and verification as needed, of approved separation forms as outlined by all branches of the military and submitted by applicants.
The bill requires that all county veteran identification cards indicate the date of card issuance and type of separation form submitted by the veteran as part of the veteran's documentary evidence, for example, "DD Form 214," or "WD AGO 53."
The bill also removes the restriction that limits the issuance of the card only to veterans of the National Guard of this State. Under this bill, veterans who served in the National Guard of other states would be eligible for the card.
Finally, the bill specifies that only those veterans who were honorably discharged or released, or generally discharged or released under honorable conditions, are eligible to receive a county veteran identification card. Current law provides that anyone discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable is eligible to receive the card.
