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A4174
ASSEMBLY, No. 4174
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
���� Requires DMA to partner with National Guard
Association of New Jersey to offer State-sponsored life insurance for members
of New Jersey National Guard.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning State-sponsored life insurance for members
of the New Jersey National Guard and supplementing Title 38A of the New Jersey
Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� The Legislature finds
and declares that:
���� a.���� The National Guard is
the most crucial line of mainland defense for the United States of America.
���� b.��� The National Guard of
New Jersey consists of over 8,300 servicemembers dedicated to the protection of
the State of New Jersey, the United States, and the rest of the world.
���� c.���� The New Jersey
Department of Military Affairs is committed to caring for the servicemembers of
the National Guard and their families.
���� d.��� Despite this commitment
to the servicemembers of the New Jersey National Guard, there is currently no
low-cost, State-sponsored life insurance benefit for the members and their
families.
���� e.���� There have been several
perceived federal, legal, and ethical issues associated with a State-sponsored
life insurance benefit for National Guard servicemembers.
���� f.���� However, the United
States Congress has provided in 37 U.S.C. 707 that the Secretary of the Army or
the Secretary of the Air Force, as the case may be, may allow a member of the
National Guard to make allotments from his or her pay for the payment of premiums
under a group life insurance program sponsored by the military department of
the state in which such member holds his or her National Guard membership or by
the National Guard Association of such state.
���� g.��� The United States
Secretary of Defense has provided by regulation in Section 3-209 of the
Department of Defense Directive 5500.07-R that offering group life insurance
programs sponsored by a state military department, to the same extent and
similar manner as the offering of the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance
program, is not an endorsement of a non-federal entity in violation of said
regulation.
���� h.��� Members of the New
Jersey National Guard should be provided with the opportunity to purchase
low-cost, New Jersey National Guard State-sponsored life insurance products.
���� i.���� Therefore, it is
desirable for members of the New Jersey National Guard to have access to
low-cost life insurance in addition to the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance
program currently offered to all servicemembers.
���� 2.��� a.� The National Guard
Association of New Jersey shall be the designated provider of State-sponsored
life insurance products offered through insurers licensed to transact insurance
business in New Jersey for military members and dependents of the New Jersey
National Guard.� The life insurance products provided by the National Guard
Association of New Jersey through its membership in the Militia Insurance Trust
shall be known as the �New Jersey National Guard State-Sponsored Life Insurance
Program.�
���� b.��� The Department of
Military Affairs, through the Adjutant General, is hereby designated as the
official departmental sponsor of the �New Jersey National Guard State-Sponsored
Life Insurance Program,� and shall allow, facilitate, and coordinate all
efforts to make the program available to all members of the New Jersey National
Guard, and shall allow, facilitate, and coordinate requested allotments with
the appropriate United States Property and Fiscal Office.
���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill requires the New
Jersey Department of Military Affairs (DMA) to partner with the National Guard
Association of New Jersey (NGANJ) to offer State-sponsored life insurance for
the New Jersey National Guard (NJNG).
���� The NJNG currently consists of
over 8,300 dedicated servicemembers committed to protecting New Jersey, the
United States, and the rest of the world.� Members of the National Guard live
in the community and are ready to assist civilian emergency management before,
during, and after emergency situations.� New Jersey is committed to caring for
the servicemembers and families of the National Guard.
���� Currently, members of the NJNG
do not benefit from a low-cost, State-sponsored life insurance program.� This
is due to several perceived federal, legal, and ethical issues associated with
a State-sponsored life insurance benefit for National Guard servicemembers. �However,
the United States Congress has provided that a member of the National Guard may
enroll in a group life insurance program sponsored by the military department
of the state in which such member holds his or her National Guard membership or
by the National Guard Association of such state.
���� This bill designates the NGANJ
as the provider of State-sponsored life insurance products offered through
insurers licensed to transact insurance business in New Jersey for military
members and dependents of the NJNG.� The program will be known as the �New
Jersey National Guard State-Sponsored Life Insurance Program.�� The DMA,
through the Adjutant General, is designated as the official departmental
sponsor of the program.� The department will allow, facilitate, and coordinate
all efforts to make the program available to all members of the NJNG, and will
allow, facilitate, and coordinate requested allotments with the appropriate
United States Property and Fiscal Office. This bill will not add any fiscal
responsibility for the State.