Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Senator NILSA I. CRUZ-PEREZ
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Amato
SYNOPSIS
Revises Commission on Women Veterans.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee on October 15, 2026, with amendments.
An Act concerning the Commission on Women Veterans, amending and supplementing N.J.S.38A:21-25, and repealing P.L.2007, c.319.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. N.J.S.38A:21-25 is amended to read as follows:
38A:21-25. a. There is created in the Department of Veterans Affairs the Commission on Women Veterans. The commission shall work in collaboration with other State agencies and appropriate groups to study and review the needs, priorities, programs, and policies relating to women veterans, including, but not limited to, housing, health care, job training, and outreach. The commission shall ensure that all service providers and citizens are aware of the needs and services available to women veterans and make recommendations for community education and training programs. The commission shall provide outreach in conjunction with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other organizations to educate, support, and [recruit] engage prospective veterans.
b. The commission shall consist of 15 members who are New Jersey residents. The Governor, pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall appoint 12 public members and, of the 12 appointed, nine shall be women veterans. All public members shall be actively engaged in the women veteran community through their involvement in activities including, but not limited to, demonstrated leadership, advocacy, service provision, or initiatives that support women veterans, subject matter expertise in women veteran issues, or as a non-military advocate for women veterans. There shall be appointed one representative from each of the following branches of military service [who may also be affiliated with an organization named below]: the Army, the Air Force, the Coast Guard, the Marines, [and] the Navy, the Space Force, if applicable, [. There shall also be appointed by the Governor: one representative from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, one representative from the American Legion, one representative from the Disabled American Veterans, one representative from the American Veterans, one representative from] the New Jersey Army National Guard, [one representative from] and the New Jersey Air National Guard [, and one representative from the Military Order of the Purple Heart]. The Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, and the Director of the Division on Women in the Department of Children and Families, or their respective designees, shall serve as ex-officio members.
c. The public members shall serve for terms of three years and until the appointment and qualification of their successors, except that of the initial appointment of public members, four shall be appointed for a term of three years, four shall be appointed for a term of two years, and four shall be appointed for a term of one year. 1[The Governor may revise the term limits to balance institutional knowledge.] No member shall be allowed to serve for more than two terms.1
If any public member discontinues affiliation with the respective veterans’ organization, the member shall immediately resign membership with the commission.
Any vacancy in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments are made.
d. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes.
e. The commission shall organize as soon as may be practicable after the appointment of a majority of its members and shall select from among its members a chairperson and a vice chairperson, who shall be responsible for the coordination of all activities of the commission. The members shall select a secretary, who need not be a member of the commission.
As deemed necessary by the chair of the commission, subcommittees may be formed around focus areas such as healthcare, including mental health, employment, housing, and military sexual trauma.
f. The commission shall meet at the call of the chairperson and hold hearings at such places as it shall designate. A meeting of the commission may also be called upon the request of eight of the commission members, and eight members of the commission shall constitute a quorum at any meeting thereof. The commission shall meet not less than quarterly.
g. The commission may conduct public hearings at such places and at such times as it shall designate, at which it may solicit the testimony of interested persons, groups, and the general public. The public meetings shall be transcribed, and such transcriptions shall be made available to the public and prominently posted on the website of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
h. The commission shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of such employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes. The Department of Veterans Affairs shall provide such organizational and personnel support as the commission may request.
i. The commission shall prepare and submit an initial report to the Governor, the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), and the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
j. The commission shall prepare and submit annual reports containing its findings, activities, and recommendations, including any recommendations for administrative and legislative action that it deems appropriate, to the Governor, the Legislature, and the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The reports shall be made available to the public and prominently posted on the website of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The commission shall periodically advise the 1[Deputy]1 Commissioner [of the Department] 1of the Department1 of Veterans Affairs on its activities, findings, and recommendations.
(cf: N.J.S.38A:21-25)
2. (New section) a. The 12 public members of the Commission on Women Veterans appointed by the Governor pursuant to subsection b. of N.J.S.38A:21-25, shall be nominated by a veteran organization through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The nominees shall demonstrate honorable veteran status or substantial professional experience serving women veterans; knowledge of veteran systems, policies, or community-based services; commitment to collaboration and Statewide representation; and the ability to engage respectfully across diverse perspectives.
1[b. A review panel coordinated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the State Women Veterans Coordinator, shall assess the nominations.]1 Nominations shall prioritize diversity across geography, race, ethnicity, era of service, and professional backgrounds to ensure that the commission reflects the broad and evolving needs of women veterans in the State. 1[The Governor shall make the final appointments.
c.] b.1 The members of the commission shall: participate in quarterly meetings and subcommittees, as appropriate; gather and evaluate organizational feedback; assist with Statewide outreach and listening sessions; and contribute to an annual State of Women Veterans report.
1[d.] c.1 As used in this section, “veteran 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.
3. P.L.2007, c.319 (C.38A:3-38 et seq.) is repealed.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.