Requires DVA establish veterans facility in Ocean or Monmouth County.

A4016

ASSEMBLY, No. 4016

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 12, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� ALEX SAUICKIE

District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires DVA establish veterans facility in Ocean or
Monmouth County.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning a veterans� facility operated by the
Department of Veterans Affairs in Ocean or Monmouth County, supplementing
chapter 21 of Title 38A of the New Jersey Statutes, amending various parts of
the statutory law, and repealing various parts of the statutory law.�

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

���� 1.� (New section) a.� The
Department of Veterans Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of the
Treasury, shall initiate the purchase of real property suitable and
appropriate, after improvements, for operation as a veterans� facility as
defined in N.J.S.38A:23-1.� The property shall be located in Ocean or Monmouth
County, and shall be no more than one mile from an acute care facility.� The
facility shall be named, the �Ronald S. Dancer Veterans Memorial Home.�

���� b.� As used in this section:

���� �Acute care facility� means
any public general hospital operated and licensed by the State that provides
hospital services such as medical and surgical, cardiac, psychiatric, and
intensive and critical care; comprehensive rehabilitation; magnetic resonance
imaging and computerized tomography, lithotripsy; and renal dialysis.

���� "Improvements" means
any actual or proposed physical changes to real property resulting from the
provision of work, services, or material by a contractor, subcontractor, or
supplier pursuant to a contract, and includes the demolition, clearance,
removal, relocation, renovation, alteration, construction, reconstruction,
installation, or repair of a building or structure.� "Improvement"
also includes, but is not limited to, excavation, digging, drilling, drainage,
irrigation, land clearance, grading, or landscaping.�

���� c.� An amount to be determined
by the Department of Veterans Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of
the Treasury, shall be appropriated annually from the General Fund to the
Department of Veterans Affairs for such purchase of the real property and for
the improvements thereto, and including, but not the limited to, for costs
associated therewith such as the costs of appraisal, economic and environmental
analyses, or engineering, planning, design, architectural, survey, or other
professional services.�

���� d.� The veterans� facility
shall be fully operational within five years following the effective date of
P.L.�� , c.� (C.�� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� The veterans� facility shall
provide transportation to and from the acute care facility for hospital
services as deemed necessary and appropriate by the administrator or assistant
administrator.�

���� e.� The Commissioner and the
State Treasurer shall prepare and submit periodic reports at least once every
six months to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164
(C.52:14-19.1), on the progress of the veterans� facility established pursuant
to this section.

���� 2.� N.J.S.38A:21-18 is amended
to read as follows:�

���� 38A:21-18.� The department,
through its divisions, shall:

���� a.� supervise and operate all
New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Homes, including:� the New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home-Menlo Park; the New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home-Vineland;
[
and
]
the New
Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home-Paramus;
and the Ronald S. Dancer Veterans Memorial Home;

���� b.� supervise and operate all
New Jersey
[
Veterans�
]

Veterans

Memorial Cemeteries, including the New Jersey
[
Veterans�
]

Veterans

Memorial Cemetery in Arneytown; and

���� c.� supervise and operate all veterans�
homeless shelter facilities owned by the State, including Veterans Haven North
and Veterans Haven South.

(cf: N.J.S.38A:21-18)

���� 3.� N.J.S.38A:23-19 is amended
to read as follows:�

���� 38A:23-19. a. Notwithstanding
the provisions of any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the
Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall transmit a weekly
report on the status of the State
[
veterans'
]

veterans

memorial homes to the Commissioner of the Department of Health whenever a
public health emergency, pursuant to the "Emergency Health Powers
Act," P.L.2005, c.222 (C.26:13-1 et seq.), has been declared by the
Governor and is in effect.� The weekly report shall include:

���� (1)�� the number of residents
and staff in each
[
veterans'
]

veterans

home, including comparisons to previous reports;

���� (2)�� any significant health
risks posed to the residents and staff in each
[
veterans'
]

veterans

home due to the public health emergency;

���� (3)�� any changes in operating
procedures in each
[
veterans'
]

veterans

home due to the public health emergency; and

���� (4)�� the amount of personal
protective equipment available to residents and staff at each
[
veterans'
]

veterans

home.

���� b.��� As used in this section:

���� (1)�� "
[
veterans'
]

Veterans

home" means the New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home-Menlo Park, the New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home-Vineland,
[
and
]
the New
Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home-Paramus
, and the Ronald S. Dancer Veterans Memorial Home
.

���� (2)�� "personal
protective equipment" means any items commonly used to protect an
individual from bacterial or viral infections, including, but not limited to,
disinfecting wipes, disposable gloves, disposable gowns, face shields, N95 face
masks, surgical masks, or parts thereof.

(cf: N.J.S.38A:23-19)

���� 4.� N.J.S.38A:23-12 is amended
to read as follows:�

���� 38A:23-12.� There are
established in the Department of Veterans Affairs
[
four
]

five
advisory councils
known as:

���� a.� The New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home Advisory Council-Menlo Park;

���� b.� The New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home Advisory Council-Vineland;

���� c.� The New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home Advisory Council-Paramus;
[
and
]

���� d.�
The Ronald S. Dancer
Veterans Memorial Home Advisory Council; and

����
e.
� The New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Cemetery Advisory Council-Arneytown.

���� Each advisory council shall
consist of seven members, at least five of whom are veterans, to be appointed
by the commissioner.� The term of each council member, except for the initial
members, shall be three years commencing on July 1 and ending on June 30 of the
third year thereafter, and any vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term
only.

���� The members of the advisory
council shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be
reimbursed for actual expenditures incurred in the performance of their duty.�
The members are subject to removal by the commissioner at any time for good and
sufficient cause.

(cf:� N.J.S.38A:23-12)

���� 5.� N.J.S.38A:23-16 is amended
to read as follows:�

���� 38A:23-16.� In conjunction
with the New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home Advisory Council-Menlo Park, the New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home Advisory Council-Vineland, the New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home Advisory Council-Paramus,
the Ronald S. Dancer Veterans
Memorial Home Advisory Council,
and the New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Cemetery Advisory Council-Arneytown, any reference in any law,
contract, or document to the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and
Veterans' Affairs or the department shall be deemed to mean and refer to the
Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of
Veterans Affairs.

(cf: N.J.S.38A:23-16)

���� 6.� Section 2 of P.L.1991,
c.378 (C.45:9-27.11) is amended to read as follows:�

���� 2.��� As used in this act:

���� "Accredited program"
means an education program for physician assistants which is accredited by the
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant or its
predecessor or successor agency.

���� "Board" means the
State Board of Medical Examiners created pursuant to R.S.45:9-1.

���� "Committee" means
the Physician Assistant Advisory Committee established pursuant to section 11
of P.L.1991, c.378 (C.45:9-27.20).

���� "Director" means the
Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs.

���� "Health care
facility" means a health care facility as defined in section 2 of
P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-2).

���� "Institution" means
any of the charitable, hospital, relief and training institutions,
noninstitutional agencies, and correctional institutions enumerated in
R.S.30:1-7.

���� "Physician
assistant" means a health professional who meets the qualifications under
P.L.1991, c.378 (C.45:9-27.10 et seq.) and holds a current, valid license
issued pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1991, c.378 (C.45:9-27.13).

���� "Physician" means a
person licensed to practice medicine and surgery pursuant to chapter 9 of Title
45 of the Revised Statutes.

���� "
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

home" means the New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home - Menlo Park, the New Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home - Vineland,
[
and
]
the New
Jersey
[
Veterans'
]

Veterans

Memorial Home � Paramus
, and the Ronald S. Dancer Veterans Memorial Home
.

(cf: P.L.2015, c.224, s.1)

���� 7.� The following sections are
repealed:

Section 2 of P.L.2009, c.220
(C.38A:3-2b5);

Section 1 of P.L.2021, c.214
(C.38A:3-2b7); and

Section 1 of P.L.2021, c.219
(C.38A:3-2b8).�

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

STATEMENT

���� Ocean and Monmouth County have
two of the highest veteran-populated counties in the State, with approximately
30,051 and 23,148 veterans respectively.�

���� This bill requires the Department
of Veterans Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of the Treasury, to
initiate the purchase of property for use as a veterans memorial home in Ocean or
Monmouth County.� The memorial home will be named the Ronald S. Dancer Veterans
Memorial Home after former Assemblyman Ronald S. Dancer.� Currently, there are
three veterans memorial homes, located in Menlo Park, Vineland, and Paramus.

���� The home will be no more than
one mile from an acute care facility.� As defined in the bill, �acute care
facility� means any public general hospital operated and licensed by the State
that provides hospital services such as medical and surgical, cardiac,
psychiatric, and intensive and critical care; comprehensive rehabilitation;
magnetic resonance imaging and computerized tomography; lithotripsy; and renal
dialysis.

���� The departments will have
suitable and appropriate improvements made to the property to operate as a
veterans memorial home.� As defined in the bill, "improvements"
includes any actual or proposed physical changes to real property resulting from
the provision of work, services, or material by a contractor, or
subcontractor.�

���� An amount to be determined by
the Department of Veterans Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of the
Treasury, will be appropriated annually from the General Fund to the Department
of Veterans Affairs for the purchase of the real property and for the
improvements thereto.

���� The veterans facility must be
fully operational within five years following the effective date of the bill,
and will provide transportation to and from the acute care facility for
hospital services as deemed necessary and appropriate by the administrator or assistant
administrator.�

���� The Commissioner and the State
Treasurer will prepare and submit periodic reports at least once every six
months to the Legislature on the progress of the facility.�

���� The bill also updates various
sections of law concerning the veterans memorial homes to add the veterans memorial
home established by the bill, including the supervision and operation of the
homes, advisory councils, and reporting requirements.� In addition, the bill
repeals repetitive sections of law concerning the veterans memorial homes.