Establishes Department of Veterans Affairs.
S 4376 establishes a new Department of Veterans Affairs in New Jersey, creating a dedicated state agency focused exclusively on veterans' needs. The bill transfers all existing veterans' programs, services, and personnel from the current Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs to this new department. The new department will manage veterans' memorial homes, cemeteries, benefits programs, and other services, with a Commissioner who must be an honorably discharged veteran. This change makes New Jersey one of the few states without a separate department for veterans' affairs, aiming to provide more efficient and focused support for veterans.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Jun 2025
Senate Passage
Jun 2025
General Assembly Passage
Jun 2025
Signed into Law
Sep 2025
Introduced Mar 24, 2025
Signed Sep 11, 2025
Floor votes · Senate Jun 30, 2025 · General Assembly Jun 30, 2025
How they voted
32–6
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 40
Jun 30, 2025
D
Democratic25
100% Yea
R
Republican15
46% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
9
Key actions
5
Committee
3
Sep 11, 2025
Signed into law
Approved P.L.2025, c.139.
executive
Jun 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) (72-0-8)
lower
Jun 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (32-6)
upper
Jun 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported out of Senate Committee, 2nd Reading
upper
Jun 19, 2025
Committee
Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee
upper
Jun 19, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported out of Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading
upper
Mar 24, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee
upper
5 primary · 13 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Annette Quijano
DDemocratic
P
Cleopatra Tucker
DDemocratic
P
Joe Cryan
DDemocratic
P
Joe Vitale
DDemocratic
P
Robert Karabinchak
DDemocratic
Co
Andrew Zwicker
DDemocratic
Co
Angela McKnight
DDemocratic
Co
Brian Stack
DDemocratic
Co
Gordon Johnson
DDemocratic
Co
Joe Lagana
DDemocratic
Co
Linda Greenstein
DDemocratic
Co
Patrick Diegnan
DDemocratic
Co
Raj Mukherji
DDemocratic
Co
Renee Burgess
DDemocratic
Co
Shama Haider
DDemocratic
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