Authorizes local governments to provide voluntary contributions to certain nonprofit veterans' organizations.

A2446

ASSEMBLY, No. 2446

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman TENNILLE R. MCCOY

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Assemblyman ROBERT J. KARABINCHAK

District 18 (Middlesex)

Assemblywoman MITCHELLE DRULIS

District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Morales

SYNOPSIS

���� Authorizes local governments to provide voluntary
contributions to certain nonprofit veterans' organizations.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act
authorizing local governments to provide
voluntary
contributions
to nonprofit veterans� organizations
and amending R.S.40:5-2.

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

����� 1.�
R.S.40:5-2 is amended to read as follows:

����� 40:5-2.�
a.� Any county or municipality may make a voluntary contribution of not more
than $125,000 annually to any duly incorporated first aid and emergency or
volunteer ambulance or rescue squad association
and a voluntary contribution
of not more than $70,000 annually to any duly incorporated nonprofit veterans�
organization
of the county, or of any municipality therein, rendering
service generally throughout the county, or any of the municipalities thereof.�

Any voluntary contribution to a nonprofit veterans� organization shall be
used to address issues of veterans located within the county or municipality,
as applicable, concerning, but not limited to, housing assistance, food
security, mental health and suicide prevention, career transitions and
advancement, transportation, and veteran family resources.

����� In
addition, if any
[
such
]

duly incorporated first aid and emergency or
volunteer ambulance or rescue squad
associations experience extraordinary
need, the county or municipality may contribute an additional amount of not
more than $70,000 annually; provided, however, that the need for
[
such
]

the
additional funds is established by the
association and is directly related to the performance of
[
said
]

the
association's duties.� Whenever the
total annual county or municipal contribution to
[
an
]

a duly incorporated first aid and emergency or
volunteer ambulance or rescue squad
association exceeds $70,000, the chief
financial officer of the county or municipality shall receive an audit
performed by a certified public accountant or a registered municipal accountant
of each association's financial records for the current year which shall
certify to the governing body of the county or municipality that such records
are being maintained in accordance with sound accounting principles.

����� Any
county or municipality may appropriate
[
such
]
additional sums as it may deem necessary for the
purchase of first aid, ambulance, rescue or other emergency vehicles,
equipment, supplies and materials for use by these associations, the title to
which shall remain with the county or municipality, provided that the funds are
controlled and disbursed by the county or municipality.

�����
[
In the case of a joint purchase made by the
governing bodies of two or more local units pursuant to the provisions of the
"Consolidated Municipal Services Act," P.L.1952, c.72 (C.40:48B-1 et
seq.), the title to the purchase shall be held by the joint meeting formed by
the contracting governing bodies.
]

�����
b.�� The
nonprofit veterans� organization shall provide the governing body and the chief
financial officer of the county or municipality with an accounting of all funds
contributed by the county or municipality to the organization in the previous
year, pursuant to subsection a., including the use of those funds for programs
or resources accessible to veterans within the county or municipality, as
applicable.

�����
c.�� For
the purposes of this section, a
"

nonprofit veterans� organization
"

means any organization
which provides support services to those who have served in the armed forces of
the United States, including but not limited to services related to the
physical, emotional, and medical needs of veterans, and which qualifies as a section
501(c)(19) tax exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code.

(cf:
P.L.2022, c.12, s.1)

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

STATEMENT

����� This bill allows counties and municipalities to
annually provide up to $70,000 of voluntary contributions to nonprofit
veterans� organizations located within the county or municipality.� The bill
provides that the nonprofit veterans� organization is to provide the governing
body and chief financial officer of the county or municipality with an
accounting of all funds contributed by the county or municipality to the
organization in the previous year including the use of those funds for programs
or resources accessible to veterans within the county or municipality, as
applicable.

����� The bill defines a �nonprofit veterans� organization�
as any organization which provides support services to those who have served in
the armed forces of the United States, including, but not limited to, services
related to the physical, emotional, and medical needs of veterans, and which
qualifies as a section 501(c)(19) tax exempt organization under the Internal
Revenue Code.� Currently, R.S.40:5-2 allows counties and municipalities to
provide up to $125,000 of financial assistance annually for volunteer emergency
services associations.