This bill (A 360) prohibits New Jersey school districts and public colleges from banning active-duty military members or veterans from speaking to students at school events, classes, assemblies, graduation ceremonies, or student groups. It requires schools to forward any correspondence from military/veterans seeking to speak to county superintendents and mandates that schools cannot adopt policies blocking such addresses. Violations risk state aid reductions for school districts (via the Commissioner of Education) or public colleges (via the State Treasurer). The law applies immediately to all public educational settings in New Jersey.
This bill requires New Jersey to issue special license plates for veterans certified by the VA as having service-connected disabilities. The plates, displaying "Disabled Veteran" and a wheelchair symbol, allow these veterans to park in disability-reserved spaces without needing additional permits or placards. The plates are free, non-transferable, and must be displayed on the vehicle while parked. Misuse of the plates can result in revocation and forfeiture of the plate. The bill directly affects disabled veterans who meet federal VA certification criteria.
This bill amends New Jersey's State Police hiring rules to extend the maximum age limit for applicants with military service. Currently, applicants must be under 35; this bill allows the maximum age to increase by one year for each year of active military service, up to a total six-year extension (max age 41). It directly affects veterans seeking to join the New Jersey State Police by making them eligible at older ages. The change applies to all applicants who completed active duty service in any U.S. military branch, without requiring additional qualifications beyond the existing fitness and examination standards.
This bill amends New Jersey law to require the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs to create a comprehensive public webpage specifically for women veterans. The webpage must include information on medical and insurance issues, veterans' legal rights, benefits, education, and transition resources. It does not establish a new treatment program but mandates the dissemination of existing information about medical resources, including those related to veterans' health needs. This change aligns with the Adjutant General's existing duty to provide public information on veterans' programs and benefits.
This bill establishes New Jersey's "Welcome Home Veterans Bonus" program within the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. It provides cash payments to eligible veterans who served in specific military operations (like OEF, OIF, or OIR) and were honorably discharged, with residency requirements. Veterans receive $1,000 for overseas combat service with hostile fire pay, $500 for domestic service, or $300 for certain expeditionary medals, plus 50% for subsequent deployments. Veterans discharged under other than honorable conditions due to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or HIV status (per DD-214) are also eligible. Payments come from a dedicated "Welcome Home Fund" administered by the DMVA.
This bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to create a program promoting women-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned, and LGBTQ-owned energy businesses. The program must set annual targets for energy purchased by businesses and public entities through licensed energy agents, starting at 5% in the first year and rising to 25% by the fourth year. To qualify, businesses must be certified by state or national organizations, registered in New Jersey, and file annual reports. The BPU must track progress toward these targets and publicly post approved businesses and updates on its website.
This bill requires New Jersey's Economic Development Authority (EDA) to create a program providing one-time grants of up to $10,000 to qualified veterans purchasing franchises in the state. It directly affects veterans who are approved by the EDA and operating or planning to operate a franchise at a New Jersey location. Key provisions include the EDA establishing application procedures, prioritizing veterans who apply within six months of the bill's effective date, and requiring grantees to report how they used the funds within one year. The program aims to support veteran entrepreneurs by reducing startup costs for franchise ownership.
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 bill creates the "Bring Veterans to New Jersey Program" within New Jersey's Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs. It helps employers recruit veterans by reimbursing them up to $5,000 for relocation costs, provided veterans accept jobs with participating employers and stay employed for at least 12 months. The program is administered by a contracted nonprofit, which vets veterans and matches them to employer positions. Veterans who leave before 12 months must repay the employer (and subsequently the state), but exceptions exist for involuntary separations like layoffs or family emergencies.
This New Jersey bill upgrades simple assault against a servicemember to aggravated assault and expands bias intimidation laws to cover crimes committed against servicemembers. It specifically defines "servicemember" as veterans or active members of the U.S. Armed Forces or New Jersey militia, adding them to the list of protected individuals under assault and bias intimidation statutes. As a result, assaulting a servicemember while in uniform or due to their status, or committing bias intimidation against them, will now be treated as a more serious offense with higher penalties. The bill directly affects servicemembers in New Jersey by strengthening legal protections against attacks on their person.
