Veterans (Military Families)

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3972: Establishes "New Jersey Gold Star Family Annuity Program."

This bill proposes establishing New Jersey's "Gold Star Family Annuity Program" within the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. It would provide eligible surviving family members of service members who died on active duty with an annual $600 payment starting January 1 each year, with future increases tied to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefit adjustments (minimum 1%, maximum 4% annually). The program specifically supports New Jersey residents who are spouses, domestic partners, parents, siblings, children, or legal guardians of fallen service members. Residency is required for eligibility, and remarriage does not disqualify recipients. The bill defines "Gold Star family member" and outlines application requirements, including proof of relationship and New Jersey residency.

Topics ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransEstablishes annuity program providing $600 annual payments to Gold Star families, tied to VA benefit adjustments, directly funding veteran family support.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Memorials & Recognition Military Families Veteran Education

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3855: Permits member of New Jersey National Guard to transfer 50 percent of certain tuition benefit to dependent child or 100 percent of certain tuition benefit to spouse.

This bill allows New Jersey National Guard members to transfer their tuition benefit to a spouse or dependent child. Specifically, members can transfer 50% of their benefit (covering up to 8 credits per semester) to a dependent child or 100% (covering up to 16 credits per semester) to a spouse. To qualify, the spouse or child must be enrolled full-time at a public New Jersey institution, apply for all available state and federal grants/scholarships, and the Guard member can only transfer the benefit to one person. The bill amends existing law to expand benefit eligibility to family members while maintaining current requirements for enrollment and financial aid applications.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationTransfers tuition benefits to dependents/spouses for higher education access at public NJ institutions, expanding educational opportunity for military families.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill expands educational benefits for National Guard veterans by allowing tuition transfer to dependents/spouses, strengthening veteran support services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid Military Families National Guard & Reserve Veteran Education

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 2651: Provides gross income tax deduction to surviving spouses of certain veterans.

This bill adds a $6,000 gross income tax deduction for surviving spouses of veterans who meet specific criteria. It directly affects surviving spouses of veterans who died while on active duty, were honorably discharged, or were released under honorable circumstances from military service. To qualify, the spouse must have been married to the veteran at death, lived with them continuously (with limited exceptions), and not remarried or cohabited as a couple (with exceptions for void marriages, annulled marriages, or remarriage after age 57). The deduction applies to taxable years beginning after the bill's effective date and is added to New Jersey's existing tax code.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides $6,000 gross income tax deduction for surviving spouses, directly reducing tax burden as tax relief for eligible veterans' families.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransProvides $6,000 tax deduction for surviving spouses of qualifying veterans, expanding financial benefits for families of fallen service members.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Military Families

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Feb 19, 2026

AR 115: Urges Congress enact Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act.

This New Jersey Assembly Resolution (AR 115) urges Congress to pass the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act. Currently, federal law forces surviving spouses of military members who died of service-connected causes to forfeit part or all of their Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity when receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from the VA - losing $1 in SBP for every $1 in DIC. The pending federal bill would end this offset for survivors under 60, prevent repayment of previously withheld benefits, and ensure payments to dependent children when no spouse is eligible. It directly affects military survivors whose spouses died on active duty or from service-connected causes, particularly those whose deaths occurred before 2001.

Topics ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransEnds offset reducing SBP annuity for military survivors, preserving benefits they lose under current law.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Military Families National Guard & Reserve Veteran Benefits

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1431: Provides in-State tuition status to certain veterans and family members who attend public institutions of higher education during period of mandatory remote instruction due to public health emergencies.

This bill updates New Jersey's tuition policy to ensure veterans and eligible family members (spouses or children) who qualify for federal education benefits continue to pay in-state tuition rates during public health emergencies requiring remote learning. It applies when veterans or covered individuals live outside New Jersey temporarily while attending public colleges in New Jersey through remote instruction. The policy change extends the existing NJTEAM Act, which already provides in-state tuition to qualifying veterans residing in New Jersey, to cover temporary out-of-state stays during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. This directly affects veterans and their families using federal education benefits who face forced relocation due to health-related campus closures.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEnsures in-state tuition access for veterans' families during remote learning emergencies, expanding educational access under higher education policy per NJTEAM Act extension.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransPreserves in-state tuition benefits for veterans and families during remote learning emergencies, extending existing NJTEAM Act protections for educational access.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Military Families Veteran Education Veteran Healthcare

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 2277: Provides increased flexibility in school district enrollment for military-connected students.

This bill (A 2277) provides school enrollment flexibility for military-connected students in New Jersey. It requires school districts to waive residency time requirements, give enrollment preference, and guarantee admission regardless of capacity if military orders are provided. The bill directly affects students dependent on active-duty service members, National Guard members, veterans, or civilian military employees (as defined in Section 1b). Key provisions include maintaining enrollment in the original district during relocation, options for 11th graders to stay until graduation, and access to military installation schools within 10 days of arrival. The law aims to reduce enrollment barriers caused by frequent military relocations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands educational access for military-connected students by removing enrollment barriers (residency requirements, capacity limits) per military orders, directly advancing access within K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly includes veterans in eligibility for school enrollment flexibility, supporting military-connected families and advancing veteran-related educational access.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Military Families National Guard & Reserve Veteran Education

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1272: Expands eligibility for gross income tax credit to family caregivers of certain armed service members with physical disabilities.

This bill expands New Jersey's gross income tax credit for family caregivers of veterans with service-connected disabilities. It allows caregivers to qualify if the veteran has any service-connected disability (not limited to post-9/11 conflicts), provided the veteran meets other existing requirements like honorable discharge, VA disability rating, and six months of residency with the caregiver in New Jersey. The credit equals 100% of the veteran's federal disability compensation, up to $675 per year, and is refundable if it reduces tax liability to zero. It directly affects New Jersey family caregivers (with income limits of $50,000 single/$100,000 joint filers) who support veterans with disabilities from any military service.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill expands tax credit eligibility, providing direct tax relief to caregivers (100% of veteran's disability comp up to $675), aligning with tax relief indicators.90% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransExpands tax credit for caregivers of veterans with disabilities, increasing financial support without restricting eligibility to post-9/11 conflicts.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Tax Credits Military Families Veteran Benefits Veteran Healthcare

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1954: Allows gross income tax deduction for surviving spouses of certain veterans.

This New Jersey bill adds a $3,000 annual deduction to the state's gross income tax for surviving spouses of veterans who: (1) died while on active duty, (2) were honorably discharged from active duty, or (3) were released under honorable circumstances from active duty. It directly affects surviving spouses of qualifying veterans who do not remarry, providing tax relief equivalent to the deduction previously available only to living veterans. The deduction is applied against gross income each year the spouse qualifies, ending if they remarry. The policy extends existing tax benefits for veterans' families to acknowledge the financial impact on surviving spouses.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides $3,000 annual tax deduction for qualifying veterans' surviving spouses, offering direct tax relief per bill summary.90% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill provides $3,000 annual tax deduction for surviving spouses of qualifying veterans, expanding benefits previously available only to living veterans, directly strengthening veteran support services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Military Families

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 278: Allows shore municipalities to provide spouse and dependent children of veterans free or reduced cost access to beaches.

This bill allows New Jersey shore municipalities to offer free or reduced beach access fees to the spouse and dependent children (over age 12) of veterans who were honorably discharged after at least 90 days of active duty or due to a service-connected injury/disability. It amends existing law, which already permits fee waivers for active military personnel, National Guard members, seniors, and others, by adding veterans to the eligible group. Municipalities are not required to adopt this policy but may choose to do so via local ordinance. Veterans can verify eligibility using standard documents like a DD-214 form or state veteran ID.

Topics ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransExpands veterans' family benefits by adding them to existing beach fee waiver program, directly advancing access to recreational services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Military Families Veteran Benefits Veteran Education

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 2816: Extends veteran's gross income tax exemption to spouses of deceased veterans.

This bill (A 2816) amends New Jersey's tax code to extend a $6,000 gross income tax exemption currently available to veterans to the spouses of deceased veterans. Under the current law, a veteran's spouse could claim this exemption only in the tax year the veteran died (if filing jointly), but not in future years. The bill would allow the spouse to continue claiming the $6,000 exemption starting the year after the veteran's death, and until the year they remarry. This directly affects surviving spouses of veterans who were honorably discharged and eligible for the exemption in their final tax year.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExtends $6,000 tax exemption to surviving spouses, providing ongoing tax relief for vulnerable veterans' families, directly aligning with tax relief indicators.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransExtends tax exemption to surviving spouses, expanding financial benefit beyond current law's one-year limit for veterans' families.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Tax Incentives Military Families

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