Requires DMVA create Bereavement Counseling Program for family members and volunteer caregivers of certain veterans.
This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to create a free Bereavement Counseling Program for family members and volunteer caregivers of veterans who died by suicide. Family members include spouses, parents, children, or household residents, while volunteer caregivers must be 18+ members of a qualified veterans' organization who provided non-paid counseling care for at least three months before the veteran's death. The program will allow applications up to five years after the veteran's death, with approved participants receiving up to 24 months of counseling (max 30 hours per year) through DMVA-matched clinicians. DMVA will provide application information via Veteran Service Officers and funeral directors when a veteran's suicide death is known, and clinicians must donate their time with no cost to participants.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2024
Committee Review
May 2025
General Assembly Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 9, 2024
Last action May 29, 2025
Floor votes · General Assembly May 22, 2025
How they voted
76–0
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 78
May 22, 2025
D
Democratic50
96% Yea
R
Republican28
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
4
Key actions
2
Committee
2
May 29, 2025
Committee
Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee
upper
May 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed Assembly (78-0-0)
lower
Sep 19, 2024
Lower · Passed
Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading
lower
Jan 9, 2024
Introduced
Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee
lower
2 primary · 4 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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