Establishes New Jersey Veteran Gravesite Maintenance Grant Program in DVA.

A2375

ASSEMBLY, No. 2375

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)

Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER

District 28 (Essex and Union)

Assemblyman JOE DANIELSEN

District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Dunn and Reynolds-Jackson

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes New Jersey Veteran Gravesite Maintenance
Grant Program in DVA.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act
concerning a veteran gravesite maintenance grant
program and supplementing chapter 3 of Title 38A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

���� 1.� There is established in
the Department of Veterans Affairs a veteran gravesite maintenance grant
program.� The purpose of the program shall be to provide grants to qualified
veterans� organizations for veteran gravesite maintenance.

���� a.� As used in this section,
"qualified veterans' organization" means a nonprofit veterans'
organization that is a section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) tax exempt organization
under the Internal Revenue Code, or a federally chartered Veterans' Service
Organization.

���� b.� In establishing the grant
program pursuant to this section, the department 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 with the maintenance of veteran gravesites.

���� 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 Commissioner of the
Department of Veterans Affairs shall include with the annual budget request for
the
department
a request for funds sufficient to
carry out the purposes and intent of this section.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill would establish a
grant program within the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) for qualified
veterans� organizations to maintain veteran gravesites across the State. DVA
would be required to develop guidelines, procedures, and criteria for
applications and awards.� The grant recipients would be required to report
grant fund use to DVA.� Implementation of the grant program would be subject to
a future appropriation by the Legislature.

���� The bill defines �qualified
veterans' organization� as a nonprofit veterans' organization that is a section
501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) tax exempt organization under the Internal Revenue
Code, or a federally chartered Veterans' Service Organization.