Bill Text: NJ A5045 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes "Welcome Home Veterans Bonus" program in DMVA.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-14 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [A5045 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A5045-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman AURA K. DUNN
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "Welcome Home Veterans Bonus" program in DMVA.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning incentives for veterans to continue residing in New Jersey 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. a. There is established in the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs a "Welcome Home Veterans Bonus" program. The purpose of the program shall be to incentivize veterans to continue residing in New Jersey after completion of military service.
b. (1) Upon application, as provided in this section, there shall be allowed and paid out the sums specified in this section to each veteran, herein defined as any person who has served in the Armed Forces of the United States, or a Reserve component thereof, including the New Jersey National Guard, in active service as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation Freedom Sentinel, or any successor or related operation and was honorably discharged or generally discharged under honorable conditions. The domicile of the veteran on account of whose service the application is filed shall have been in the State for a period of not less than six months before the time of the person's entry into the service. Any veteran discharged or released under other than honorable conditions due to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or HIV status based on the veteran's DD-214 form or equivalent documentation shall be eligible for the bonus program under this section.
(2) The sum of $1,000 shall be allowed and paid out to each veteran who performed active service outside of the continental limits of the United States for which the veteran qualified for hostile fire or imminent danger pay as determined by the United States Department of Defense.
(3) The sum of $500 shall be allowed and paid out to each veteran who performed active duty within the continental limits of the United States, or outside the continental limits of the United States but did not qualify for hostile fire or imminent danger pay as determined by the United States Department of Defense, for a period of not less than six months.
(4) Upon return from each subsequent deployment defined under this section, there shall be allowed and paid out 50 percent of the sums specified in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection to qualifying veterans.
(5) Upon application, as provided in this section, there shall be allowed and paid out the sum of $300 to each qualifying veteran who has served in the Armed Forces of the United States, or a Reserve component thereof, including the New Jersey National Guard, outside of the continental limits of the United States and who is in receipt of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for service during a period where no other State wartime bonus is available, provided that the veteran shall have served in the Armed Forces of the United States, or a Reserve component thereof, including the New Jersey National Guard, for a period of not less than 90 days, unless conditions of physical incapacity prevented the completion of such service and provided that the domicile of the veteran on account of whose service the application is filed shall have been in the State for a period of not less than six months immediately before the time of the person's entry into service.
c. If a veteran who is deceased would, if alive, be entitled to the benefits of this section, the sum named in this section shall be paid to the decedent veteran's heir-at-law. If there is more than one heir-at-law, payments shall be made in such proportions as shall be determined by the decedent veteran's will or, if the decedent veteran dies without a will, then as shall be determined by the statutory requirements of intestate succession as prescribed in N.J.S. 3B:5-3 through 3B:5-16. A right or payment under this section shall not be subject to the claims of creditors, capable of assignment, regarded as assets, legal or equitable of the estate of the deceased, or made the basis for administration thereof.
If a person died while in active service, a sum of $1,000 shall be paid in the manner provided by this subsection in addition to any unpaid amount the person would have received, if eligible, pursuant to subsection b. of this section.
d. Applications under this section shall be filed with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shall develop guidelines and procedures for the submission of applications, and criteria for the evaluation of such applications. The department may require and accept such additional evidence as the department deems necessary to establish the fact of domicile within the State as provided under paragraph (1) of subsection b. of this section.
A person who knowingly makes a false statement, oral or written, relating to a material fact in supporting a claim under this section, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000, by imprisonment for not more than three years, or both.
e. The Adjutant General shall appoint a payments appeal board consisting of three members whose duties shall be to act as a final appeals board. A person aggrieved by a decision of the department in the matter of payments provided for by this section may appeal to the board and shall be entitled to a hearing, after due notice, upon such appeal. The decision of the board shall be final.
f. The Adjutant General shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
g. There is established in the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs a special dedicated, non-lapsing fund to be known as the "Welcome Home Fund." The fund shall consist of all monies appropriated by the Legislature for inclusion in the fund, monies received from federal grants, investment earnings of the fund, and monies contributed to the fund by private sources, to be used for the purposes of this section. The monies in the fund shall be invested and reinvested by the Department of the Treasury.
2. This act shall take effect one year following the date of enactment, except that the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs may take any anticipatory action as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a "Welcome Home Veterans Bonus" program in the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to incentivize veterans to continue residing in New Jersey after completion of military service.
To qualify for a bonus under this program, a veteran must have:
(1) served in the Armed Forces of the United States, or a Reserve component thereof, including the New Jersey National Guard, in active service as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation Freedom Sentinel, or any successor or related operation;
(2) been honorably discharged or generally discharged under honorable conditions; and
(3) resided in this State for a period of not less than six months before the time of the person's entry into the service.
The bill provides that any veteran discharged or released under other than honorable conditions due to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or HIV status based on the veteran's DD-214 form or equivalent documentation is eligible for the program.
The bill also provides that different amounts will be paid out based on the circumstances of the military service. If a person died while in active service, a sum of $1,000 will be paid to the decedent veteran's heir-at-law or, if there is more than one heir-at-law, payments will be made as determined by the decedent veteran's will. If there is no will, the payments will be determined by the requirements of intestate succession as prescribed by law.
This bill requires applications for the bonus program to be filed with DMVA. DMVA will be required to establish submission and evaluation criteria for applications and to appoint a payments appeal board consisting of three members whose duties will be to act as a final appeals board.
A person who knowingly makes a false statement in supporting a claim under this bill will be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000, by imprisonment for not more than three years, or both.
