Revises Commission on Women Veterans.

S4418

SENATE, No. 4418

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED JUNE 8, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JAMES BEACH

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

Senator� NILSA I. CRUZ-PEREZ

District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Amato

SYNOPSIS

���� Revises Commission on Women Veterans.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning the Commission on Women Veterans,
amending and supplementing N.J.S.38A:21-25, and repealing P.L.2007, c.319.�

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

���� 1.� N.J.S.38A:21-25 is amended
to read as follows:�

���� 38A:21-25.� a. �There is
created in the Department of Veterans Affairs the Commission on Women
Veterans.� The commission shall work in collaboration with other State agencies
and appropriate groups to study and review the needs, priorities, programs, and
policies relating to women veterans, including, but not limited to, housing,
health care, job training, and outreach.� The commission shall ensure that all
service providers and citizens are aware of the needs and services available to
women veterans and make recommendations for community education and training
programs.� The commission shall provide outreach in conjunction with the
Department of Veterans Affairs and other organizations to educate
, support,

and
[
recruit
]

engage

prospective veterans.

���� b.� The commission shall
consist of 15 members who are New Jersey residents.� The Governor
, pursuant
to section 2 of P.L.�� , c.�� (C.�� ) (pending before the Legislature as this
bill),
shall appoint 12
public
members and, of the 12 appointed,
nine shall be women
veterans.� All public members shall be actively engaged
in the women veteran community through their involvement in activities including,
but not limited to, demonstrated leadership, advocacy, service provision, or initiatives
that support women veterans, subject matter expertise in women veteran issues,
or as a non-military advocate for women veterans
.� There shall be appointed
one representative from each of the following branches of military service
[
who may also
be affiliated with an organization named below
]
:�
the Army, the Air Force, the Coast Guard, the Marines,
[
and
]
the Navy
,
the Space Force, if applicable,

[
.�
There shall also be appointed by the Governor: one representative from the
Veterans of Foreign Wars, one representative from the American Legion, one
representative from the Disabled American Veterans, one representative from the
American Veterans, one representative from
]

the New Jersey Army National Guard,
[
one
representative from
]

and
the New Jersey Air National Guard
[
,
and one representative from the Military Order of the Purple Heart
]
.� The
Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Commissioner of Labor
and Workforce Development, and the Director of the Division on Women in the
Department of Children and Families, or their respective designees, shall serve
as ex-officio members.

���� c.� The public members shall
serve for terms of three years and until the appointment and qualification of
their successors, except that of the initial appointment of public members,
four shall be appointed for a term of three years, four shall be appointed for
a term of two years, and four shall be appointed for a term of one year.�
The
Governor may revise the term limits to balance institutional knowledge.�

���� If any public member
discontinues affiliation with the respective veterans� organization, the member
shall immediately resign membership with the commission.

���� Any vacancy in the membership
of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointments are made.

���� d.� The members of the
commission shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for
necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties
within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the
commission for its purposes.

���� e.� The commission shall
organize as soon as may be practicable after the appointment of a majority of
its members and shall select from among its members a chairperson and a vice
chairperson, who shall be responsible for the coordination of all activities of
the commission.� The members shall select a secretary, who need not be a member
of the commission.

����
As deemed necessary by the
chair of the commission, subcommittees may be formed around focus areas such as
healthcare, including mental health, employment, housing, and military sexual
trauma.�

���� f.� The commission shall meet
at the call of the chairperson and hold hearings at such places as it shall
designate.� A meeting of the commission may also be called upon the request of
eight of the commission members, and eight members of the commission shall
constitute a quorum at any meeting thereof.� The commission shall meet not less
than quarterly.

���� g.� The commission may conduct
public hearings at such places and at such times as it shall designate, at
which it may solicit the testimony of interested persons, groups, and the
general public.�
The public meetings shall be transcribed, and such transcriptions
shall be made available to the public and prominently posted on the website of
the Department of Veterans Affairs.�

���� h.� The commission shall be
entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of such
employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau,
commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.�
The Department of Veterans Affairs shall provide such organizational and
personnel support as the commission may request.

���� i.� The commission shall
prepare and submit an initial report to the Governor, the Legislature, pursuant
to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), and the Commissioner of the
Department of Veterans Affairs.

���� j.� The commission shall
prepare and submit annual reports containing its findings, activities, and
recommendations, including any recommendations for administrative and
legislative action that it deems appropriate, to the Governor, the Legislature,
and the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs.�
The reports
shall be made available to the public and prominently posted on the website of
the Department of Veterans Affairs.�

���� The commission shall
periodically advise the
Deputy
Commissioner
[
of the Department
]
of Veterans
Affairs on its activities, findings, and recommendations.

(cf: N.J.S.38A:21-25)

���� 2.� (New section)� a.� The 12
public members of the Commission on Women Veterans appointed by the Governor
pursuant to subsection b. of N.J.S.38A:21-25, shall be nominated by a veteran
organization through the Department of Veterans Affairs.� The nominees shall demonstrate
honorable veteran status or substantial professional experience serving women
veterans; knowledge of veteran systems, policies, or community-based services; commitment
to collaboration and Statewide representation; and the ability to engage
respectfully across diverse perspectives.�

���� b.� A review panel coordinated
by the Department of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the State Women
Veterans Coordinator, shall assess the nominations.� Nominations shall
prioritize diversity across geography, race, ethnicity, era of service, and
professional backgrounds to ensure that the commission reflects the broad and
evolving needs of women veterans in the State.� The Governor shall make the
final appointments.

���� c.� The members of the commission
shall: participate in quarterly meetings and subcommittees, as appropriate; gather
and evaluate organizational feedback; assist with Statewide outreach and
listening sessions; and contribute to an annual State of Women Veterans report.�

���� d.� As used in this section, �veteran
organization� means a veteran organization that qualifies as a section
501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) tax exempt organization under the Internal Revenue
Code, or a federally chartered Veterans� Service Organization.

���� 3. �P.L.2007, c.319
(C.38A:3-38 et seq.) is repealed.�

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill revises portions of
the law establishing the Commission on Women Veterans.� The purpose of the revisions
is to reestablish the commission with clearer authority, more defined roles,
and stronger coordination.�

���� As provided by the bill, to
promote transparency, equity, and effectiveness, the public members will be
nominated by a veteran organization through the Department of Veterans Affairs
(DVA), and nominees will represent a diverse population spanning multiple eras
of service, branches of military, racial and ethnic backgrounds, family
structures, and service-connected experiences, ensuring that the commission
reflects the broad and evolving needs of women veterans in the State.� In
addition, references to affiliation-based appointments to specific veteran
service organizations have been removed to ensure nominations are based on
lived experiences, leadership, and active engagement in the women veteran
space.�

���� The bill also provides that
the commission members� term limits may be revised to balance institutional
knowledge.� The members will: participate in quarterly meetings and
subcommittees, as appropriate; gather and evaluate organizational feedback;
assist with Statewide outreach and listening sessions; and contribute to an
annual State of Women Veterans report.�

���� In addition, under the bill, the
public meetings will be transcribed, and the transcripts will be prominently
posted on the website of the DVA.� The reports to the Legislature will also be
prominently posted on the DVA�s website.�

���� The bill also repeals redundant
sections of law regarding the Commission on Women Veterans, which remained in
the statutes after the split of the former Department of Military and Veterans
Affairs.