Sponsored by:
Senator JEFF VAN DREW
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Senator PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.
District 18 (Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Connors, Beck and Cruz-Perez
SYNOPSIS
Provides State aid to counties and municipalities to fund transportation services for veterans to VA medical centers; appropriates $500,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a program to provide transportation to veterans’ medical centers, supplementing Title 38A of the New Jersey Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs shall establish a program to disperse State aid to counties and municipalities to provide transportation services to veterans residing in a municipality located 30 miles or more from a United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical center.
b. A county or municipality receiving State aid pursuant to this section shall provide for the transportation of veterans, on vehicles having functioning bathroom facilities, to the nearest United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical center for receiving health care services, such as physician visits, laboratory services, hospitalization, and surgical care. A county or municipality may incorporate any State aid received pursuant to this section into an existing transportation service operated by the county or municipality to effectuate the purposes of this section.
c. There is annually appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs for State aid to counties and municipalities a sum necessary to provide for the services set forth in this section.
d. The Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs shall promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs the sum of $500,000 for the purpose of providing grants to counties and municipalities to purchase vehicles having functioning bathroom facilities to provide transportation services to veterans in accordance with this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs to establish a program to disperse State aid to counties and municipalities to provide transportation services to veterans residing in a municipality located 30 miles or more from a United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical center. Under the bill, counties and municipalities receiving State aid from the department would provide for the transportation of veterans, on vehicles having functioning bathroom facilities, to the nearest United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical center. Veterans would be entitled to rides under this bill for physician visits, laboratory services, hospitalization, and surgical care. In addition, the bill allows a county or municipality to incorporate any State aid received under this bill into an existing transportation service operated by the county or municipality to provide transportation services to veterans in accordance with this bill. The bill appropriates $500,000 for the purpose of providing grants to counties and municipalities to purchase vehicles having functioning bathroom facilities to provide transportation services to veterans.