Updates definition of veteran to include discharged LGBTQ veteran; requires DVA develop review process for such veterans.*

# Summary of the Bill Amending Veteran Definitions to Include Discharged LGBTQ Veterans This bill amends multiple New Jersey statutes to update the definition of "veteran" to include "discharged LGBTQ veterans" and requires the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs (DMVA) to develop a review process for discharged LGBTQ veterans concerning lost benefits. The bill adds the following definition to various statutes: "Discharged LGBTQ veteran" means a veteran who was discharged less than honorably from military or naval service due to their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, or statements, consensual sexual conduct, or consensual acts relating to sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, or the disclosure of such statements, conduct, or acts that were prohibited by the Armed Forces of the United States at the time of discharge. The bill addresses a historical injustice where an estimated 100,000 LGBTQ veterans were discharged under less than honorable conditions from the start of World War II until the 2011 repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Transgender veterans continued to face discharge until the June 2016 Directive-Type Memorandum-16-005 (reversed by March 2019 Directive-Type Memorandum-19-004). These veterans lost their right to both state and federal benefits by being discharged under less than honorable conditions. The bill aims to restore state benefits for these veterans by updating the legal definition of "veteran" and establishing a process for reviewing and potentially restoring lost benefits.