S4115

An Act establishing a transportation grant program for spouses of 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. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Compassionate Spousal Visits for Veterans Act.”

2. The Department of Veterans Affairs shall establish a program to provide transportation assistance to spouses of veterans to travel to any long-term care facility or United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in this State where a veteran resides or is receiving in-patient treatment for the purpose of making a recreational, social, or non-medical visit.

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 to spouses of veterans who spend their own funds to travel on public transportation to and from any long-term care facility or United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in this State to make a recreational, social, or non-medical visit to a resident or an in-patient veteran using any motor bus or rail passenger service conducted by the corporation due to a circumstance which prevents or hinders the spouse’s ability to operate a privately-owned conveyance and when the spouse is not otherwise eligible for payment for travel or reimbursement by means of any existing State or federal program;

b. develop, in cooperation with county governments, a program to provide reimbursement to qualified participating county governments that provide transportation services to spouses of veterans who travel on county transportation to and from any long-term care facility or United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in this State to make a recreational, social, or non-medical visit to a resident or an in-patient veteran due to a circumstance which prevents or hinders the spouse’s ability to operate a privately-owned conveyance by reimbursing their operation of a county-owned conveyance;

c. develop a program to provide reimbursement to spouses of veterans who spend their own funds to travel, using a for-hire private entity, to and from any long-term care facility or United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in this State to make a recreational, social, or non-medical visit to a resident or an in-patient veteran by reimbursing on a per mile basis the use of a privately-owned conveyance when that spouse is not otherwise eligible for payment for travel or reimbursement by means of any existing State, federal, or county program, the requested transportation is not duplicated by any existing private transportation service available through residence in a group care facility, and such transportation is necessary due to a circumstance which prevents or hinders the spouse’s ability to operate a privately-owned conveyance;

d. develop a system for monitoring spouses of veterans who have applied for reimbursement;

e. require all government entities whose vehicles are used to provide transportation assistance to spouses of veterans pursuant to this section to have liability insurance that provides coverage to those spouses during transport;

f. reimburse county governments for any costs necessary to effectuate the provisions of this section;

g. notify the general public, veterans, and eligible spouses of veterans that the program established by this section is available; and

h. adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.

3. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Veterans Affairs the sum of $500,000 to effectuate the provisions of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

4. This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month next following enactment, except that the Department of Veterans Affairs may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

This bill, designated as the “Compassionate Spousal Visits for Veterans Act,” establishes a program to provide financial assistance, subject to available State or federal funding, to spouses of veterans to travel to any long-term care facility or United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in this State where a veteran resides or is receiving in-patient treatment for the purpose of making a recreational, social, or non-medical visit.

Under the bill, a spouse of a veteran may receive reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses on NJ Transit, provided that the spouse is not otherwise eligible for travel or reimbursement through any existing State or federal program.

The bill also provides reimbursement to county governments for the operation of a county-owned conveyance when that conveyance provides transportation services to spouses of veterans to travel to any long-term care facility or United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in this State where a veteran resides or is receiving in-patient treatment for the purpose of making a recreational, social, or non-medical visit.

Under the bill, a spouse of a veteran may also receive reimbursement on a per mile basis for out-of-pocket expenses on a for-hire private transportation entity, provided that the spouse is not otherwise eligible for travel or reimbursement through any existing State, federal, or county program, the requested service does not duplicate any existing private transportation service available to the spouse through residence in a group care facility, and such transportation is necessary due to a circumstance which prevents or hinders the spouse’s ability to operate their own vehicle.

Additionally, the bill requires the department to develop a system to monitor spouses who have applied for reimbursement, notify the general public and appropriate parties about the program, ensure that any government entity whose vehicle is used to transport the spouse of a veteran pursuant to the bill has liability insurance that covers spouses during transport, and reimburse county governments for any costs necessary to implement its provisions.

The bill appropriates $500,000 to the department to effectuate its provisions.

The sponsor believes transportation that enables a spouse of a veteran to visit that loved one while in overnight or long-term care is important for the spouse who has supported the veteran through difficult times, and also for the mental, emotional, and physical health of the veteran under care.