STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER
District 28 (Essex and Union)
Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes and allocates funds for program to provide mental health services to veterans; appropriates $2 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing a mental health grant program for veterans, supplementing chapter 3 of 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 Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs shall establish a program to provide grants to recognized veterans organizations to provide mental health services to veterans. The veterans organization shall contract with mental health care professionals to provide mental health services to veterans.
b. As used in this act:
"Mental health care professional" means a person who provides mental health services and is licensed or otherwise authorized, pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes, to practice a health care profession that is regulated by one of the following: the State Board of Medical Examiners; the State Board of Psychological Examiners; the State Board of Social Work Examiners; the State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners; the Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee; the Professional Counselor Examiners Committee; and the Certified Psychoanalysts Advisory Committee.
"Veterans organization" means a veteran organization that qualifies as a section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) tax-exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code, or a federally chartered Veterans’ Service Organization. It shall also include the New Jersey SOS Veterans Stakeholders Group and the New Jersey Catholic Charities Diocese.
c. The Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs shall adopt regulations, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the purposes of this act.
2. There is appropriated $2,000,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs for the purpose of providing grants to veterans’ organizations to be used to provide mental health services to veterans in accordance with section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs to establish a program to provide grants to certain veterans organizations to provide mental health services to veterans. The veterans organizations will contract with mental health care professionals to provide the services. The bill appropriates $2,000,000 from the General Fund for the program.
The bill defines "veterans organization" to mean a veterans organization that qualifies as a section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) tax-exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code, or a federally chartered Veterans’ Service Organization. It shall also include the New Jersey SOS Veterans Stakeholders Group and the New Jersey Catholic Charities Diocese.