S1065

An Act establishing the New Jersey Veteran Services Grant Program and 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. There is established in the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs a veteran services grant program. The purpose of the program shall be to assist veterans in applying for and receiving State and federal benefits and to provide training for veterans service officers employed by the department. The grants shall be awarded to qualified veterans’ organizations.

b. The grants shall be allocated on a competitive basis. The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shall:

(1) develop guidelines and procedures for the submission of grant applications, and criteria for the evaluation of such applications;

(2) establish terms and conditions for the awarding of a grant under this section, and monitor grant recipients’ compliance with the terms and conditions;

(3) require the recipient of the grant to report to the department information relating to its use of grant funds under the program; and

(4) submit a report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature, during each year in which a grant is awarded, on the effectiveness of the grant program in assisting veterans with applications for State and federal benefits and in providing training for the veterans service officers of the department.

A qualified veterans’ organization that seeks to apply for a grant under this program shall submit an application to the department. The application shall, at a minimum, include a detailed outline of the training to be provided to State veterans service officers or the number of additional veterans service officers the organization will provide to veterans, or both.

A qualified veterans’ organization may be awarded a grant for training only, veterans’ assistance only, or both. Each recipient of a grant shall report to the department information relating to its use of grant funds under the program.

c. The department may, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations as are necessary to establish and implement the grant program.

d. The Adjutant General shall include with the annual budget request for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs a request for funds sufficient to carry out the purposes and intent of this section.

e. As used in this section, "qualified veterans’ organization" means a nonprofit 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.

2. There is appropriated $2,000,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs for the New Jersey Veteran Services Grant Program.

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the New Jersey Veteran Services Grant Program to assist veterans in applying for and receiving State and federal benefits and to provide training for veterans service officers employed by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA).

The grants will be awarded to qualified veterans’ organizations on a competitive basis based on criteria developed by DMVA. An application for a grant must have a detailed outline of the training that will be provided to State veterans service officers or the number of additional veterans service officers the organization will provide to assist veterans with applying for and receiving State and federal benefits, or both. Implementation of the grant program would be subject to a future appropriation by the Legislature.

Under the bill, “qualified veterans' organization” is defined as a nonprofit 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.

This bill also appropriates $2,000,000 from the General Fund to the department to defray the costs of the grant program.