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S3206
SENATE, No. 3206
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED JANUARY 28, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)
Senator� JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Amato, Space, Singleton and Diegnan
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes Military Suicide Prevention Task Force.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
establishing a Military Suicide Prevention Task
Force and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.�
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� The Department of
Military and Veterans Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of Human
Services, shall establish a Military Suicide Prevention Task Force.� The
purpose of the task force shall be to reduce military suicides and provide a
plan for the elimination of all military suicides.� The task force shall
recommend comprehensive strategies aimed at addressing suicide among members of
the military, both active duty and veterans, and shall recommend ways to
establish and execute plans and programs to implement those strategies.�
���� 2.��� The task force shall
consist of 17 members:
���� a.���� The following members,
or their designees, shall serve ex-officio:
���� (1)�� The Adjutant General of
the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs;
���� (2)�� The Commissioner of the
Department of Human Services;
���� (3)� The Attorney General;
���� (4)�� The State Treasurer; and
���� (5)�� The Commissioner of the
Department of Transportation.
���� b.��� The Adjutant General
shall appoint two public members, each from different parts of the State, at
least one of whom is a woman, as follows:�
���� (1)�� one of whom is a
veteran; and
���� (2)�� one of whom is a
disabled veteran.�
���� c.���� The Commissioner of the
Department of Human Services shall appoint two public members, each from
different parts of the State, as follows:
���� (1)�� one member of the public
with knowledge or experience in working with homeless persons; and
���� (2)�� one member of the public
with knowledge or experience in working with persons with disabilities.�
���� d.��� The President of the
Senate shall appoint two public members, each from different parts of the
State, as follows:�
���� (1)�� one member of the public
who has knowledge or experience in veterans� employment issues; and
���� (2)�� one member of the public
who is a veteran.
���� e.���� The Speaker of the
General Assembly shall appoint two public members, each from different parts of
the State, as follows:�
���� (1)�� one member of the public
who has knowledge or experience in military-related mental health issues; and
���� (2)�� one member of the public
who is a disabled veteran.
���� f.���� The Governor shall
appoint four public members, each from different parts of the State, as
follows:�
���� (1)�� one member of the public
who is a female veteran or female disabled-veteran;
���� (2)�� one member of the public
who has knowledge or experience with treating post-traumatic stress disorder or
total brain injury;
���� (3)�� one member of the public
with knowledge or experience in treating military sexual trauma; and
���� (4)�� one member of the public
with knowledge or experience in issues relevant to women in the military.�
���� The public members shall be
appointed no later than 60 days after the effective date of this act.� The
public members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be
reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties
and within the limits of funds available to the task force.�
���� 3.��� a.� Each public member
of the task force shall serve for a term of five years, except that in making
the first appointments, three shall serve for a term of two years, three shall
serve for a term of three years, three shall serve for a term of four years,
and three shall serve for a term of five years.� The length of the respective
term for each public member of the first task force shall be determined by lot
at the organization of the task force.�
���� The members shall be eligible
for reappointment and shall serve until their successors are appointed and
qualified, and the term of the successor of any incumbent shall be calculated
from the expiration of the term of that incumbent.� A vacancy occurring in the
membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointment, but for the unexpired term only.�
���� b.��� The task force shall
organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of a majority of its
members.� The members of the task force shall elect, by a majority of the total
membership of the task force, one of its public members to serve as chair and
one of its public members to serve as vice-chair during that member�s term.�
���� A new chair and vice-chair, as
appropriate, shall be elected upon the expiration of the public member�s term,
even if that member remains on the task force until that member�s successor is
duly appointed and qualified.�
���� c.���� The task force shall
appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.�
���� d.��� The task force shall, at
a minimum, meet every other month and may meet more frequently as needed, based
upon a vote of a majority of the members.
���� e.���� The majority of
authorized members of the task force shall be required to conduct official
business.�
���� f.���� The task force may
incur expenses within the limits of funds available to it in order to carry out
its duties and responsibilities.
���� 4.��� It shall be the duty of
the task force to:
���� identify and review the issues
and concerns facing active duty service members and veterans;
���� recommend measures the State
should take to address the issues and concerns, including legislation if
appropriate;
���� examine data, research,
programs, and initiatives related to military suicide, including the physical,
social, emotional, and mental impact of military service, with a focus on
deployments;
���� identify evidence-based best
practices to increase awareness of veteran suicide prevention hot lines, in New
Jersey or nationally, and other crisis resources with proven effectiveness to
reduce military suicide;
���� identify effective strategies
for promoting lifelong physical, social, emotional, and mental health of
service members and veterans, and develop recommendations to implement those
strategies;�
���� review the laws, regulations,
and public policies governing services provided to active duty service members
and veterans of this State, and determine whether those services are currently
being performed in the most effective manner; and
���� determine whether those
services can be performed more efficiently and effectively by a county or
municipal government and whether services now being provided by a county or
municipal government may be more efficiently and effectively performed by State
government.�
���� 5.��� a.� The Department of the
Military and Veterans Affairs shall assign such personnel to serve the task
force as the task force may request.
���� b.��� The task force is
authorized to call upon any department, office, division, or agency of the
State, or of any county, municipality, or school district of the State, to
supply such data, program reports and other information, personnel, and
assistance, as it deems necessary to discharge its responsibilities and
duties.� The departments, offices, divisions, and agencies, to the extent
possible and not inconsistent with any other law of this State, shall cooperate
with the task force and shall furnish it with such information, personnel, and
assistance as may be necessary or helpful to accomplish the purposes of the
task force.�
���� 6.��� The task force shall
submit periodic reports, no less than twice a year, concerning the findings and
actions related to its duties to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of
P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature.�
���� The report shall, at a
minimum, consist of factual findings and recommendations for policies,
legislation, and programs to reduce and eliminate military suicides.
���� 7.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill requires the
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, in conjunction with the Department
of Human Services, to establish a Military Suicide Prevention Task Force.� The
purpose of the task force will be to reduce military suicides and provide a
plan for the elimination of all military suicides.� The task force will
recommend comprehensive strategies aimed at addressing suicide among members of
the military, active duty and veterans, and will recommend ways to establish
and execute plans and programs to implement those strategies.�
���� The task force will consist of
17 members, and it will be the duty of the task force to:
���� identify and review the issues
and concerns facing active duty service members and veterans;
���� recommend measures the State
should take to address the issues and concerns, including legislation if
appropriate;
���� examine data, research,
programs, and initiatives related to military suicide, including the physical,
social, emotional, and mental impact of military service, with a focus on
deployments;
���� identify evidence-based best
practices to increase awareness of veteran suicide prevention hot lines, in New
Jersey or nationally, and other crisis resources with proven effectiveness to
reduce military suicide;
���� identify effective strategies
for promoting lifelong physical, social, emotional, and mental health of
service members and veterans, and develop recommendations to implement those
strategies;�
���� review the laws, regulations,
and public policies governing services provided to active duty service members
and veterans of this State, and determine whether those services are currently
being performed in the most effective manner; and
���� determine whether those
services can be performed more efficiently and effectively by a county or
municipal government and whether services now being provided by a county or
municipal government may be more efficiently and effectively performed by State
government.�
���� The task force will submit
periodic reports, no less than twice a year, concerning the findings and
actions related to its duties to the Governor and the Legislature.