Bill Text: NJ S1903 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Establishes NJ Military Family Relief Fund; provides for designation on State gross income tax return to permit taxpayers to make voluntary contributions to military family relief fund.
Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2026-06-11 - Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee [S1903 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-S1903-Amended.html
SENATE, No. 1903
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator LATHAM TIVER
District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington)
Senator RAJ MUKHERJI
District 32 (Hudson)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Singleton and Amato
SYNOPSIS
Establishes NJ Military Family Relief Fund; provides for designation on State gross income tax return to permit taxpayers to make voluntary contributions to military family relief fund.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee on June 11, 2026, with amendments.
An Act concerning military family relief grants and supplementing Titles 54A and 38A of the New Jersey Statues.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established in the Department of the Treasury a separate, nonlapsing fund to be known as the "New Jersey Military Family Relief Fund." Moneys in the "New Jersey Military Family Relief Fund" shall be held by the State Treasurer and made available for the purposes designated under section 2 of this act, P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
b. Each taxpayer shall have the opportunity to indicate on the taxpayer's New Jersey gross income tax return that a portion of the taxpayer's tax refund or an enclosed contribution shall be deposited in the separate, nonlapsing fund.
c. Any costs incurred by the Division of Taxation for collection or administration attributable to this act may be deducted from receipts collected pursuant to this act, as determined by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting. The State Treasurer shall deposit net contributions collected pursuant to this act into the "New Jersey Military Family Relief Fund."
d. The Legislature shall annually appropriate all funds deposited in the "New Jersey Military Family Relief Fund" established pursuant to this section to the Department of Military 1[and] Affairs and the Department of1 Veterans Affairs, 1as appropriate,1 which shall be credited with:
(1) moneys received by the State as gifts, grants, or donations for the purpose of military family relief, including, at the discretion of the Adjutant General, grants accepted by the Department of Military 1[and Veterans]1 Affairs pursuant to section 12 of P.L.1987, c.444 (C.38A:3-6.2) 1and, at the discretion of the commissioner, grants accepted by the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to N.J.S. 38A:21-10, as appropriate1;
(2) moneys that the Legislature may appropriate; and
(3) other moneys made available including, but not limited to, funds provided by the federal government.
2. a. The purpose of the "New Jersey Military Family Relief Fund" shall be to provide grants up to $2,500 to defray the costs of food, housing, medical services, and other essential expenses for (1) members of the United States Armed Forces, or a Reserve component thereof, and their families, (2) members of the New Jersey National Guard and their families, (3) veterans and their families, or (4) the surviving spouse of a member of the armed forces, or a reserve component thereof, a member of the national guard, or a veteran.
For the purposes of this subsection,
"veteran" means an individual who received an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions from active service in any branch of the United States Armed Forces, or a Reserve component thereof, or the New Jersey National Guard.
b. The Adjutant General of the Department of Military 1[and] Affairs and the Commissioner of the Department of1 Veterans Affairs shall 1jointly1 determine the application process, and shall establish the eligibility documentation required for a person to be considered a qualified applicant pursuant to this section. A qualified applicant seeking a grant shall submit an application in such form as shall be required by the 1[department] departments1.
To be qualified, the applicant shall be a New Jersey resident and shall have resided in the State for a period of not less than 12 consecutive months immediately prior to submitting an application. An applicant shall provide documentation of financial hardship to the 1appropriate1 department in order to receive the grant. An applicant shall not receive a grant from the "New Jersey Military Family Relief Fund" more than once in any 12-month period.
c. The application shall be submitted to the Department of Military 1[and] Affairs or the Department of1 Veterans Affairs, 1as appropriate,1 and upon approval, the department, if adequate moneys are available, shall issue the grant from the "New Jersey Military Family Relief Fund." The Adjutant General 1or the commissioner, as appropriate,1 may deny an applicant due to insufficient moneys available in the fund and shall notify the applicant of the denial. When funding is available, the 1appropriate1 department shall notify each qualified applicant who was denied a grant during the preceding 24 months due to a lack of sufficient moneys available and inform that applicant of the availability of funds.
d. The Adjutant General 1or the commissioner1 shall be responsible for determining whether any person seeking to be considered a qualified applicant under this section, for the purpose of receiving a grant from the "New Jersey Military Family Relief Fund," meets the eligibility requirements and adjudicating an appeal from any person disputing this determination. The determination of the Adjutant General 1or the commissioner, as appropriate,1 shall be binding.
3. The Adjutant General 1and the commissioner, as appropriate,1 may adopt, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act, P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
