This bill amends New Jersey's Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS) to extend death and disability benefits to members injured or killed while on active military duty (federal or state). It defines members on such duty - ordered by the President for federal service or the Governor for state service - as "active members" for benefit purposes, ensuring they qualify for the same death benefits as if actively serving in their department. The amendment covers both death benefits for survivors (including lump-sum payments) and disability retirement benefits for members disabled during military service. This directly affects PFRS members who serve in the military while retaining their retirement system eligibility.
This bill helps National Guard and Reserve members who passed police or firefighter civil service exams but couldn't start jobs due to military service. If they served 30+ consecutive days after September 11, 2001, during specified military operations (including Operation Enduring Freedom and Freedom’s Sentinel), their name moves to the next eligible hiring list for the same job type. It also extends age eligibility - those who met age requirements when the exam closed are considered eligible when their name is added to the new list. The bill applies only to those whose military service prevented completing employment requirements.
This bill requires New Jersey's public colleges and universities to waive or reimburse application fees and transcript fees for veterans, active-duty military members, and New Jersey National Guard members who live in New Jersey and accept admission. It directly affects eligible service members seeking higher education within the state. The key provision mandates that institutions must eliminate these specific fees upon enrollment, either by not charging them upfront or refunding them after the fact. The policy applies immediately to all public higher education institutions in New Jersey.
This bill creates a temporary five-year teaching certification program for veterans in New Jersey. It allows veterans who have completed at least four years of honorable military service, earned 60 college credits, and passed subject-matter exams to receive a temporary certificate while enrolled in an approved educator preparation program at a New Jersey university. School districts can hire these veterans full- or part-time, and their teaching experience counts toward their program's clinical practice requirement. The program applies to veterans honorably discharged from active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard, or Reserve components.
This is an Assembly Resolution (AR 33), not a bill, urging Congress to require VA hospitals to provide all routine medical screenings for women veterans on-site at every facility. Currently, women veterans sometimes must travel to off-site clinics for screenings like mammograms or Pap tests, creating unnecessary burden. The resolution argues that on-site screenings would improve access, reduce travel time/resources, and ensure care consistency with private-sector standards. It does not create new law but formally requests congressional action to address this gap in veterans' healthcare access.
This bill expands free admission to New Jersey state parks, forests, and beaches for veterans and military personnel. It directly affects: (1) all New Jersey resident veterans (previously covered under existing law), (2) active-duty service members stationed in New Jersey regardless of residency, and (3) Gold Star Family members holding designated IDs. Key provisions remove residency requirements for active military personnel and clarify qualifying documentation. The bill updates existing rules that already provided free access to National Guard members after training, disabled seniors, and some veterans.
This bill excludes basic pay received by New Jersey residents serving in active duty or active duty for training with the U.S. Armed Forces or National Guard from the state's gross income tax. It directly affects military members who receive this pay, expanding an existing exclusion that already covers military allowances like food/housing and combat zone pay. The key change removes basic pay - the primary component of military compensation - from taxable income calculations, aligning New Jersey's treatment with federal exclusions for such pay. The bill applies to taxable income years beginning January 1 after enactment.
This bill provides free hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses and free admission to New Jersey state parks and forests for disabled veterans (honorably discharged with a service-connected disability), active and retired New Jersey National Guard members, active duty military personnel stationed or residing in New Jersey, and members of the state's military reserves. It amends existing laws to eliminate fees for these groups and requires the state to cover the cost by appropriating funds from the General Fund to the hunters' and anglers' license fund. The Department of Environmental Protection will determine acceptable documentation for verifying eligibility, such as military service records or VA disability certifications. The bill takes effect January 1 following enactment.
This bill establishes a 11-member task force within New Jersey's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to study challenges faced by returning members of the U.S. Armed Forces and New Jersey National Guard who deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. The task force, including agency commissioners and public members with expertise in military transition, mental health, and veteran support, will hold public hearings and review current programs. It must identify issues affecting veterans' physical, mental, and social well-being, develop recommendations for state action, and issue a final report with legislative proposals within six months. The task force expires 30 days after submitting its report.
AJR 63 is a joint resolution urging the U.S. Department of Defense and New Jersey Civil Service Commission to coordinate so deployed military service members can take civil service examinations during their deployment. It directly affects New Jersey military members who are deployed, enabling them to participate in exams while serving, which would maintain their eligibility for civil service jobs upon return. The resolution does not change existing rules but requests collaboration to allow exams during deployment, helping veterans secure public-sector employment faster by keeping them on hiring eligibility lists.
