Requires Commissioner of Department of Veterans Affairs to develop mobile application to provide guidance on available resources to veterans and their families.

A2351

ASSEMBLY, No. 2351

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR.

District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)

Assemblyman JOE DANIELSEN

District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)

Assemblyman ROBERT J. KARABINCHAK

District 18 (Middlesex)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Haider and Assemblyman Venezia

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires Commissioner of Department of Veterans
Affairs to develop mobile application to provide guidance on available
resources to veterans and their families.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

concerning the development of a mobile application by the
Commissioner of the
Department of Veterans
Affairs and amending
N.J.S.38A:21-5
.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

����� 1.�� N.J.S.38A:21-5
is amended as follows:�

����� 38A:21-5.�
The commissioner, as head of the department, shall have all of the functions,
powers, and duties heretofore vested in the Administrator of Veterans Affairs
of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs, previously designated in
N.J.S.38A:3-2, and shall
have
, in addition to the functions, powers, and
duties vested in the commissioner by this act, N.J.S.38A:21-1 et al., or by any
other law, which are as follows:

����� a.�� Administer
the work of the department;

����� b.�� Appoint
and remove officers and other personnel employed within the department, subject
to the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes and other applicable
statutes, except as herein otherwise specifically provided;

����� c.�� Have
authority to organize and maintain an administrative division and to assign to
employment therein secretarial, clerical, and other assistants in the
department's or the commissioner's office as the internal operations of the
department may require, in accordance with Title 11A of the New Jersey
Statutes;

����� d.�
Perform, exercise, and discharge the functions, powers, and duties of the
department through such divisions as may be established by this act or
otherwise by law;

����� e.�
Organize the work of the department in divisions, not inconsistent with the
provisions of this act, and in bureaus and other organizational units as the
commissioner may determine to be necessary for efficient and effective
operation;

����� f.�
Adopt, issue, and promulgate, in the name of the department, pursuant to the
"Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.),
such rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement this act or as may
be authorized by law;

����� g.�
Formulate and adopt rules and regulations for the efficient conduct of the work
and general administration of the department, its officers, and its employees;

����� h.�
Institute, or cause to be instituted, legal proceedings or processes as may be
necessary to properly enforce and give effect to any of the commissioner's
powers or duties;

����� i.�
Coordinate the activities of the department, and the other divisions and
agencies therein, in a manner designed to eliminate overlapping and duplicative
functions;

����� j.�
Integrate within the department, so far as practicable, all staff services of
the department and of the other divisions and agencies therein;

����� k.�
Have access to all relevant files and records of other State agencies and
require any officer or employee therein to provide information as necessary to
assist in performing the functions of the department, subject to any privacy
laws;

����� l.�
Maintain suitable headquarters for the department and such other quarters as
the commissioner shall deem necessary to the proper functioning of the
department;

����� m.�
Encourage and facilitate the registration of each service member residing in
New Jersey with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its
successor agency.� Registration shall take place, as appropriate, when the
service member returns from deployment on federal active duty, or is
discharged, or as soon as possible thereafter.� The term "service
member" shall mean members of the New Jersey National Guard and members of
the United States Armed Forces, or a Reserve component thereof, when the information
on each member is made available to the department;�

����� n.�
Develop and coordinate a volunteer-based program comprised of former service
members to assist and mentor veterans who become involved with the criminal
justice system, while criminal proceedings are pending and afterward, with
accessing assistance to resolve the underlying problems that led or contributed
to the veteran's involvement with the criminal justice system including, but
not limited to, offering support and guidance, securing housing, employment
linkages, job training, education, transportation, disability compensation
claims, discharge status, health care, and other linkages available at the
local, State, and federal level that can ease the challenge of reentry into
civilian life.� In addition, the commissioner shall develop a registry of volunteer
mentors and make the registry available pursuant to P.L.2017, c.42 (C.2C:43-23
et al.);

����� o.�
Prepare and disseminate a directory of Veterans Diversion Resource Program
entities currently available within New Jersey pursuant to P.L.2017, c.42
(C.2C:43-23 et al.);

����� p.�
Create a comprehensive public webpage for Gold Star family members that
includes, but is not limited to, the following information: State benefits,
State and county liaisons, a list of service members from New Jersey killed in
action, links to other Gold Star family organizations, and such other
information and resources as the commissioner deems necessary and beneficial to
a Gold Star family member.� A "Gold Star family member" means the
spouse, domestic partner, partner in a civil union, parent, brother, sister,
child, legal guardian, or other legal custodian, whether of the whole or half
blood, or by adoption, of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States or
the National Guard who died while on active duty for the United States;

����� q.�
Maintain a regional network of Veteran Service Offices to assist veterans and
their dependents with information and guidance in filing claims and to assist
with employment, education, burial, counseling, housing, social and medical
services, and other areas of concern to veterans and their families, as well as
provide advice and support to veterans re-entering civilian life;
[
and
]

����� r.�
Perform such other functions as may be prescribed in this act or by any other
law
; and

�����
s.��� Provide
current information to veterans and their families on State and federal
veterans� programs and benefits via a mobile application that includes, but is
not limited to, information regarding veterans� legal rights, benefits, medical
and insurance issues, education, housing, the transition from active to
civilian life, and other support assistance and resources available to veterans
and their families
.

(cf:
N.J.S.38A:21-5)

���� 2.� This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires Commissioner
of the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a mobile application for
veterans and their families.� The mobile application will be a resource guide
and will provide veterans and their families with information related to
veterans� legal rights, benefits, medical and insurance issues, education,
housing, the transition from active to civilian life, and other available
support assistance and resources.�

���� Making these resources
available through a mobile application will provide veterans with an additional
avenue to access the department�s resources.� The content on mobile
applications generally loads faster than websites, and mobile applications are
easier to use than websites and will provide veterans with a better user
experience.