Bill Text: NJ S1069 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Establishes county veteran transportation grant program; removes certain restrictions to the current veterans transportation assistance program; appropriates $2 million.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-08 - Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee [S1069 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2024-S1069-Amended.html

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[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 1069

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  LINDA R. GREENSTEIN

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Senator  JOSEPH A. LAGANA

District 38 (Bergen)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators A.M.Bucco and Cruz-Perez

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Establishes county veteran transportation grant program; removes certain restrictions to the current veterans transportation assistance program; appropriates $2 million.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee on February 8, 2024, with amendments.

  

An Act establishing a county veteran transportation grant program, ¹removing certain restrictions to the current veterans transportation assistance program,¹ amending P.L.2015, c.211, and making an appropriation. 

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.  Section 1 of P.L.2015, c.211 (C.38A:3-49) is amended to read as follows: 

     1.    The Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs shall establish a program to provide assistance to qualified veterans in in-patient and out-patient treatment programs to travel to attend medical counseling appointments [for service-connected conditions approved and authorized by the] at any United States Department of Veterans Affairs [within this State] facility ¹in this State or a contiguous state¹ for healthcare services.

     The department shall:

     a.     develop, in cooperation with the New Jersey Transit Corporation and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, a program to provide reimbursement, subject to available State or federal funding, to qualified veterans who spend their own funds to travel on public transportation to and from medical counseling appointments [for service-connected conditions within the State] at any United States Department of Veterans Affairs facility ¹in this State or a contiguous state¹ for healthcare services using any motor bus or rail passenger service conducted by the corporation when the veteran is not otherwise eligible for payment for travel or reimbursement by means of any existing State or federal program;

     b.    develop, in cooperation with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, a program to provide reimbursement to qualified veterans who spend their own funds to travel using private transportation to and from medical counseling appointments [for service-connected conditions within the State] at any United States Department of Veterans Affairs facility ¹in this State or a contiguous state¹ for healthcare services by reimbursing on a per mile basis their operation of a privately-owned conveyance when that veteran is not otherwise eligible for payment for travel or reimbursement by means of any existing State or federal program, provided that the qualified veteran shall not use a for-hire private entity that charges for transportation unless such transportation is necessary for the qualified veteran due to a [service-connected injury or disability for which the veteran has a certified rating provided by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs] circumstance which prevents or hinders his or her ability to operate a privately-owned conveyance;

     c.     develop, in coordination with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, a system for monitoring veterans who have applied for reimbursement;

     d.    notify the general public and eligible veterans that the program established by this section is available to qualified veterans; [and]

     e.     adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this [act] section; and 

     f.  develop, in cooperation with county governments, a program to provide reimbursement, subject to available State or federal funding, to qualified participating county governments that provide transportation services to disabled veterans to and from medical counseling appointments at any United States Department of Veterans Affairs facility ¹in this State or a contiguous state¹ for healthcare services by reimbursing their operation of a county-owned conveyance.  As used in this subsection ¹[:] ,¹ "disabled veteran" means any citizen and resident of this State now or hereafter honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component thereof, or the National Guard and who has been or shall be declared by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or its successor, to have a service-connected disability.

(cf: P.L.2015, c.211, s.1)

 

     2.  There is appropriated $2,000,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs for the county veteran transportation grant program provided in section 1 of P.L.2015, c.211 (C.38A:3-49). 

 

     3.  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.