Legislative
Process
Bills
are introduced into a house (senate, assembly or house of representatives)
by a member of that house.The bills is then sent to committee(s)to study
the impact the bill would have if imple mented into law. When (and if)
the bill leaves the committee it is sent to the full house for a vote.
When it
passes one house, it must then complete the same process in the other
house.
When it
passes both houses it is sent to the chief executive office (president
or govenor) to be signed or vetoed. A veto can be overruled by a re-vote
in both houses.
Most bills
never leave committee. More than 300 bills are introduced for each one
that is signed into law.
If you
want to influence the legistlative process,you must call,write or e-mail
your elected representatives. Only elected representatives can introduce
a bill or vote on it.
HTTP://THOMAS.LOC.GOV
Is the
U.S.Library of Congress and has information about current bills and
recent laws, as well as addresses and phone numbers for U.S.Senators
and U.S.Representaves.
WWW.NJLEG.STATE.NJ.US
Is the
New Jeresy Legislative website and contains information about current
bills and recent laws,as well as addresses and phone numbers for N.J.
Senators and N.J.Assemblymen.
This same
information can be found at your local library.
Editor's
note: Due to space con straints this list includes only the new laws
and most of the current bills (could be voted into law) but not resolutions
(expressed opinions) that directly effect veterans and/or their benefits.
top
New US Laws
HR801
- To expand eligibility for CHAMPVA, to provide for family coverage and
retroactive expansion of the increase in maximum benefits under Servicemembers’
Group Life Insurance, to make technical amendments, and for other purposes.
HR1696
- To expedite the construction of the World War II memorial in the District
of Columbia.
New NJ Laws
S638
A2402 - Extends period of restricted sale of poppies to raise funds
to benefit veterans.
A1256
S847 - Excludes U.S. military pensions and survivors benefits of persons
less than 62 years of age from gross income taxation.
A1330
S1894 - Expands certain veterans’ benefits to certain participants
in the Lebanon Crisis of 1958.
A1336
S1149 - Extends TPAF, PERS and PFRS veteran’s status to certain
participants in peace-keeping operations in Somalia, Republic of Bosnia
and Herzgovina. Assembly 10/30/00)
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New US
Bills
HR51
- To provide retiring servicemembers all benefits promised when entered
service.
HR65
- To permit retired servicemembers with a service-connected disability
to receive a portion of their military retired pay and VA disability
compensation.
HR81
- To allow a refundable tax credit to military retirees for premiums
paid for coverage under Medicare part B.
HR134
- To revise the criteria for presumption of service-connection of certain
diseases and disabilities for veterans exposed to ionizing radiation
during military service.
HR171
- To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to ensure that veterans
are eligible for discretionary relief from detention, deportation, exclusion,
and removal.
HR179
- To restore health care coverage to retired servicemembers.
HR303
- To permit retired servicemembers with a service-connected disability
to receive both military retirement for years of service and VA disability
compensation.
HR320
- To improve the Montgomery GI Bill benfits, increasing the amount of
basic assistance, repealing the requirement for contribution pay for
participation in the program, and authorizing the VA to make accelerated
payments.
HR406
- To prohibit a motor vehicle insurer from treating a veteran differently
because during military service the veteran drove a vehicle insured
or owned by the U.S. government.
HR435
- To improve access to medical services at VA outpatient clinics with
exceptionally long waiting periods.
HR439
- To extend commissary and exchange store privileges to veterans with
a service-connected disability of 30 percent or more and to their dependents.
HR440
- To authorize space-available military airflight to veterans with a
service-connected disability of 50 percent or more. loan guarantee available
to a veteran.
HR511
- To improve outreach programs carried out by the VA to inform veterans
of benefits available to them from the VA.
HR514
- To provide a presumption of service connection for certain diseases
and disabilities for veterans exposed during military service to carbon
tetrachloride.
HR545
- To revise the effective date for DIC for survivors of veterans who
died during the Vietnam era or later.
HR548
- To increase the minimum Survivor Benefit Plan basic annuity for surviving
spouses age 62 and older.
HR551
- To make vehicle travel reimbursement the same for both the VA beneficiary
travel program and Federal employees.
HR587
- To prescribe alternative payment mechanisms for the payment of annual
enrollment fees for TRICARE.
HR609
- To provide limited authority for concurrent receipt of military retired
pay and veterans’ disability compensation for those over the age
of 65.
HR612
- To clarify the standards for compensation for Persian Gulf veterans
suffering from certain undiagnosed illnesses.
HR639
- To establish a comprehensive program for testing and treatment of
veterans for the Hepatitis C virus.
HR699
- To change the effective date for paid-up coverage under the military
Survivor Benefit Plan from Oct. 1, 2008, to Oct. 1, 2002.
HR745
- To prevent veterans’ contributions to GI bill benefits from
reducing Federal student financial assistance.
HR764
- To provide a presumption of service connection for cold weather
injuries for veterans engaged in military operations with sustained
exposure to cold weather.
HR811
- To authorize the VA to carry out construction projects for the
purpose of improving, renovating, and updating patient care facilities
at VA medical centers.
HR843
- To allow the sworn affidavit of a veteran who served in combat
during the Korean War or an earlier conflict to be accepted as proof
of service-connection of a disease or injury alleged to have been incurred
or aggravated by such service.
HR844
- To make annuities paid by States to blind veterans disregarded
in determination of supplemental security income benefits.
HR862
- To make Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2) a presumed service-connection
for veterans exposed to certain herbicide agents during military service.
HR879
- To restore veterans tobacco-related illness benefits as before
the Transportation Equity Act for the 21stCentury.
HR890
- To exempt amounts owed for VA prescription drugs and medical supplies
from interest and administrative charges imposed on indebtedness to
the U.S.
HR936
- To improve programs for homeless veterans.
HR952
- To grant a Federal charter to Korean War Veterans Association,
Inc.
HR963
- To provide compensation to veterans of the Bataan Death March,
held POW by the Japanese.
HR995
- To appropriate permamently the Radiation Exposure Compensation
Act.
HR996
- To ensure timely payments of the Radiation Exposure Compensation
Act.
HR1015
- To provide for an increase in Servicemember’ s Group Life Insurance
paid between Nov. 1, 2000, and April 1, 2001.
HR1098
- To improve maritime lien records and expand the American Merchant
Marine Memorial Wall of Honor.
HR1106
- To exclude certain veterans’ compensation and pension amounts
from adjusted income for determining the rent under the U.S. Housing
Act of 1937.
HR1108
- To provide that remarriage of the surviving spouse of a veteran
after age 55 shall not result in termination of DIC.
HR1131
- To permanently fund the Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust
Fund.
HR1132
- To ensure timely payment of the Radiation Exposure Compensation
Act.
HR1136
- To require the VA pharmacies to dispense medications to veterans
for prescriptions written by private practitioners.
HR1215
- To ensure confidentiality in medical records and health care information.
HR1232
- To repeal the two-tiers of the Survivor Benefit Plan.
HR1233
- To authorize military recreational facilities to be used by any veteran
with a compensable service-connected disability.
HR1280
- To annually determinate the rate of the Montgomery GI Bill.
HR1291
- To increase the amount of the Montgomery GI Bill.
HR1351
- To provide VA furnished headstones for the marked graves of veterans.
HR1377
- To ensure that military personnel do not lose the right to cast
votes in elections as a result of their service, to extend the voter
registration and absentee ballot protections for servicemembers to State
and local elections.
HR1406
- To improve presumptive compensation for veterans with ill-defined
illnesses resulting from the Persian Gulf War.
HR1435
- To authorize the VA to provide a national toll-free hotline with
information and assistance for veterans.
HR1469
- To provide for grants to repair veterans memorials.
HR1541
- To authorized benefits for children of Vietnam-era veterans after
determining their disease has a association with parental exposure to
a herbicide agent.
HR1587
- To repeal the 30-year manifestation requirement for a presumption
of service- connection in respiratory cancers in veterans who served
in the Republic of Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975.
HR1616
- To grant citizenship, to anyone who obtains the alien lawfully
admitted for permanent residence status and then honorably serves 3
years active duty military.
HR1717
- To require VA pharmacies to fill prescriptions from private practitioners.
HR1724
- To provide that service in the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps during WWII
constituted active military service for the purpose of obtaining veterans
benefits from the VA.
HR1746
- To establish a single VA " 1-800 " number answered by benefit
counselors with information on all veterans benefits provided by all
Federal departments and agencies and by State governments.
HR1813
- To revise the Survivor Benefit Plan for termination payments to
a surviving spouse remarried before age 55.
HR1917
- To provide a monthly stipend to the surviving parents (known as
" Gold Star parents " ) of sevicemembers who die during a period of
war.
HR1957
- To expand the list of presumed service-connected diseases for
radiationexposed veterans and to expand the radiation- risk activities
list for servicemembers.
HR1958
- To permit the transfer of entitlements under the Montgomery GI
Bill.
HR1962
- To modify the time Selected Reservists may use educational benefits.
HR2095
- To make uniform the fees charged reservists and veterans for VA
home loans.
HR2123
- To increase funeral and burial expenses and plot allowance.
HR2125
- To allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay health
insurance premiums on a pretax basis and to allow a deduction for TRICARE
supplemental premiums.
HR2201
- To increase aid and attendance compensation for disabled veterans.
HR2223
- To pay veteran benefits until death instead of the month preceding
death.
HR2247
- To extend VA housing loans for members of the Selected Reserve.
HR2361
- To increase as of Dec. 1, 2001, the rates of compensation for
service-connected disabilities and the rates of DIC.
HR2442
- To provide veterans benefits to merchant marine who served during
a war.
HR2561
- To increase the Medal of Honor pension and increase the criminal
penalties for fraud relating to the medal of honor.
HR2633
- To replace the Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation (VERA),
the formula used for the allocating funds for VA medical care in different
geographic regions.
HR2671
- To ban co-payment increases for 5 years for outpatient medication
for the treatment of service-connected disabilities.
S38
- To authorize service-connected, totally- disabled veterans to
fly military space available.
S43
- To authorize disabled former POWs to use commissary and exchange stores.
S129
- To provide a monthly stipend to surviving parents ( " Gold Star Parents
" ) of servicemembers who died during a war.
S131
- To modify the annual determination of active duty Montgomery GI Bill
benefits.
S170
- To permit concurent receipt of both military retired pay by reason
of years of service and VA disability compensation.
S278
- To restore health care coverage to retired members of the uniformed
services.
S305
- To remove the reduction of Survivor Benefit Plan annuities at age
62.
S381
- To maximize the access of military voters and recently separated military
voters to the polls, to ensure that each vote cast by such a voter is
duly counted.
S392
- To grant a Federal Charter to Korean War Veterans Association, Inc.
S405
- To improve VA outreach programs informing veterans of VA benefits.
S409
- To clarify the standards for compensation for Persian Gulf veterans
suffering from certain undiagnosed illnesses.
S448
- To permanently fund the Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust Fund.
S449
- To ensure the timely payment of the Radiation Exposure Compensation
Act.
S456
- To enhance the efficiency, quality, and patient satisfaction in VA
health care.
S457
- To establish a presumption of service- connection for Hepatitis C.
S561
- To provide that the same health insurance premium conversion arrangements
afforded to Federal employees be made available to servicemembers and
retirees.
S612
- To require the VA to develop and implement an annual outreach plan.
S662
- To furnish VA headstones or markers for marked veteran graves.
S739
- To improve programs for homeless veterans.
S781
- To extend the authority for housing loans for members of the Selected
Reserve.
S912
- To increase veteran burial benefits.
S937
- To permit the transfer of Montgomery GI Bill entitlement by servicemembers.
S984
- To improve the Veterans Beneficiary Travel Program of the VA.
S1022
- To allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay health insurance
premiums on a pretax basis and to allow a tax deduction for TRICARE
premiums.
S1063
- To improve the administration of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans
Claims.
S1090
- To increase, effective as of Dec. 1, 2001 the rates of service-connected
disabilities compensation and DIC.
S1095
- To restore promised GI Bill educational benefits to Vietnam era
veterans.
S1113
- To increase the Medal of Honor pension, to provide an annual adjustment.
S1114
- To increase the educational benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill.
S1160
- To fund dog-guides to blind veterans and service dogs to veterans
with hearing impairments or spinal cord injuries.
S1221
- To establish an additional basis for establishing the inability
of veterans to defray expenses of necessary medical care.
S1226
- To require the display of the POW/ MIA flag at the WW II, Korean
War, and Vietnam memorials.
top
New NJ Bills
A14
- Establishes Operation Recognition to provide State high school diplomas
to veterans who left high school to serve in the armed forces during World
War I or World War II. (Passed Assembly 6/29/00)
A105
- Requires DMV to accept military retiree identificationc card as proof
of legal name on driver’ s licenses.
A214
- Excludes Armed Services combat zone pay from gross income taxation.
A326
- Authorizes special license plates for military retirees.
A368
- Extends property tax reimbursement benefits
to certain low income veterans.
A455
- Extends civil service veterans preference to veterans who served
in NATO campaign or peacekeeping in Yugoslavia.
A524
- Extends certain veterans’ benefits to include veterans who
served in NATO campaign and peacekeeping in Yugoslavia. (Passed in Assembly
5/25/00).
A663
S687 - Authorizes special Distinguished Flying Cross license plates.
A664
S686 - Provides for special Bronze Star license plates.
A669
S780 - Allows gross income tax filers to designate contribution to
VetGroup, Inc. for services to veterans.
A671
S689 - Authorizes special license plate for distinguished service
medal recipients.
A701
S103 - Extends veterans’ property tax exemption to tenant shareholders
in cooperatives and mutual housing corporations. (Passed Assembly 5/24/01)
A743
S702 - Provides reimbursement to municipalities for taxes lost due
to totally disabled veteran’s tax exemption and administrative expenses.
A765
- Directs New Jersey Highway Authority to designate Garden State Parkway
as memorial highway to ex-POW’ s. (Passed Assembly 10/30/00)
A979
- Reallocates appropriate funds to pay disabled
veterans’ retroactive refund claims for property tax payments.
A1195
- Makes certain changes in PERS retirement provisions for veterans.
A1197
- Entitles representatives of WAC’ s WAVES, Women Marines and
Vietnam Veterans of America to leave of absence with pay to attend conventions.
A1225
- Establishes and allocates funds for program to provide capital grants
to veteran. s organization; appropriates $250,000.
A1237
- Authorizes special license plates for members of the DAV.
A1249
S1907 - Permits certain TPAF veteran retirees to receive paid health
benefits under State Health Benefits Program.
A1258
- Grants local budget cap exception for personnel costs of employees in
military reserves and NJ National Guard activated for NATO action in Yugoslavia.
A1329
- Modifies maximum age for police and fire department hires and for
PFRS enrollment by permitting subtraction from actual age of up to five
years for service in Armed Forces, Coast Guard, reserves or National Guard.
A1401
- Permits certain war-time veterans and military surviving spouses
to receive enhanced homestead rebate amount similar to the homestead rebate
amounts allowed for senior and disabled residents.
A1446
S134 A2461 - Excludes veterans’ entitlements from income for
determination of PAAD eligibility.
A1461
- Permits parking of vehicles with “ Disabled Veteran” license
plates in spaces reserved for handicapped.
A1473
- Provides credit to retired or separated military personnel who apply
for private passenger automobile insurance.
A1570
- Provides property tax relief to certain totally disabled veterans
and provides for municipal reimbursement by State.
A1663
- Provides full or partial reimbursement to new veteran-owned small
businesses of sales and use tax paid.
A1711
- Broadens the criteria under certain circumstance, for eligibility
for 100 percent exemption from property taxes for the surviving spouses
of certain veterans.
A1863
- Veterans Property Tax Relief Act of 2000.
A2004
S503 - Revises retirement provisions for PERS members who are veterans.
A2028
S609 - Implements proposed constitutional amendment extending eligibility
for property tax deduction to New Jersey resident who is surviving spouse
of nonresident veteran.
A2042
S24 - $7.2 million for Battleship USS New Jersey refurbishment.
A2156
- Abolishes battleship commission and foundation; transfers funds to special
account.
A2276
- Directs that “ New Jersey Turnpike” be designated “
New Jersey Veterans Turnpike,” appropriates $500,000.
A2349
S1123 - Authorizes free hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses and
State park admission for persons with certain types of military service.
A2482
- Establishes loan program to rehabilitate military monuments; appropriates
$600,000.
A2490
- Provides that certain surviving spouses of veterans may continue
to receive veterans’ property tax deduction after remarriage.
A2546
S1086 - Establishes special license plates for veterans of the Korean
conflict.
A2599
- Qualifies Cold War era veterans for veteran's property tax deduction.
A2613
S1654 - Amends definition of veteran for certain military engagements.
A2810
- Accelerates by one year phase-in of veteran property tax deduction
increase.
A2823
S133 - Adds Haiti peacekeeping mission to definition of “active
service in time of war” for eligibility to receive $100 veterans’
property tax deduction. (Passed Assembly 5/24/01)
A2833
- Redesigns special prisoner of war license plates.
A2854
S1603 - $50,000 to DMAVA for transportation pilot program to provide
veterans’ medical transportation. (Passed Assembly 5/24/01)
A2855
S1432 - Authorizes special emblem for license plates of disabled veterans.
A2881
- Permits municipality to retroactively refund veteran’ s property
tax paid inadvertently.
A2949
- Authorizes naval combat service license plate.
A2951
- Authorizes special license plate for ex-prisoners of war.
A3043
- Concerns calculation of retirement benefits of certain veteran members
of PERS.
A3180
- Authorizes special Bronze Star license plates.
A3234
- $500,000 to DMAVA for veterans guide and journal.
A3236
S2095 - $6 million to DHS for Social Services to the Homeless grant
program and $2 million to DMAVA to assist homeless veterans.
A3258
- Appropriates $25,000 to DMAVA for women veterans’ memorial at
the NJ veterans’ cemetery at Arneytown.
A3288
- Provides income tax exclusion for portion of federal civil service pension
representing military pension benefit.
A3377
- Authorizes free admission to State parks and forests and free hunting,
fishing, and trapping licenses for retired members of NJ National Guard.
A3386
- Clarifies military leave benefits for public officers and employees.
A3389
- Extends certain veterans’ benefits to disabled veterans determined
by VA to have a service-connected, permanent disability of 30 percent
or greater.
A3526
- Extends eligibility for veterans’ property tax deduction and disabled
veterans’ property tax exemption to certain veterans who have served
in Korean Demilitarized Zone.
A3533
- Authorizes free admission to State parks and forests for disabled veterans.
A3582
S1294 - Extends eligibility for NJ Distinguished Service Medal to
25 year State residents. (Passed Senate 5/14/01)
A3611
S2410 - $20,000 to DMAVA for grant to Italian American War Veterans
of U.S. 66th annual national convention in Atlantic City.
S24
- $7.2 million for Battleship USS New Jersey refurbishment.
S83
- Eliminates the requirement of overseas service in Operation “
Desert Shield/ Desert Storm” to qualify for civil service veterans’
preference.
S133
- Adds Haiti peacekeeping mission to definition of “ active service
in time of war” for eligibility to receive $50 veterans’ property
tax reduction.
S164
- Provides for the issuance of special motor vehicle license plates to
Combat Medical Badge recipients.
S214
- “Totally Disabled Veterans’ Property Tax Relief Act of 2000.”
S422
A1971 - Provides special license plates for Purple Heart recipients.
(Passed in Senate 2/7/00).
S465
- Authorizes special license plates for members of the DAV.
S590
- Authorizes “Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation”
license plate. (Passed in Senate 3/23/00).
S620
- Authorizes issuance of POW plates for vehicles leased by former prisoners
of war. (Passed in Senate 3/27/00).
S687
- Authorizes special Distinguished Flying Cross license plates. (Passed
Senate 5/03/01)
S742
- Provides that TPAF and PERS veterans’ retirement with 35 years
of services shall be based on highest benefit year rather than last year
of service.
S971
- Extends certain veterans’ benefits to persons inducted into active
service through the U.S. Selective Service System during the Cold War.
S1045
A2527 - Establishes special license plates for World War II Veterans
(Passed by the Senate 6/8/2000).
S1241
- Provides property tax exemption for fractional ownership by 100 percent
disabled veteran in continuing care facility.
S1388
A2783 - $50,000 to DMAVA for study of veterans needs. (Passed Both
Houses 6/14/01)
S1521
- Provides for annual adjustment in allowance paid to veterans with certain
wartime service-connected disabilities
S1739
- $358,000 to Division of Housing and Community Resources in DCA to
fund grant to American Legion Post No. 91 for repairs caused by flooding.
S1759
A3669 - Supplemental appropriation of $337,500 to DMAVA for personnel
and equipment at the veterans memorial cemetery.
S1789
- Authorizes special Navy Seabee emblems on license plates.
S1975
- Exempts from the sales and use tax sales made at concession stands located
in State-owned veterans. homes.
S1997
A3091 - Supplemental appropriation of $25,000 to Division of Housing
and Community Resources in DCA to fund grant to Willingboro Township for
veterans. memorial. (Passed Senate 5/3/01).
S2101
- Eliminates criteria qualified voter must meet to receive military or
civilian absentee ballot.
S2165
- $40,000 to Division of Housing and Community Resources in DCA to fund
grant to East Greenwich Township for veteran. s memorial. (Passed Senate
5/3/01).
S2211
A3321 - Extends eligibility for veterans. property tax deduction to
residents of continuing care retirement communities.
S2330
A3486 - $25,000 to DMVA for a grant to the Vietnam Veterans United,
Inc. of Mercer County for refurbishing of Mercer County Vietnam Veteran.
s Memorial.
S2340
A3437 - Allows for gross income tax deduction for any honorably discharged
member of the US Armed Forces, Reserve unit, or National Guard.
S2343
A3294 - Creates continuing education and nurse recruitment pilot program
in DMAVA; appropriates $348,000.
S2349
A3723 - $1,000,000 to DMAVA for construction of the State WWII Veterans
Memorial.
S2378
A3386 - Clarifies military leave benefits for public officers and
employees. Proposed for Introduction
A3755
- Broadens the eligibility for veterans' benefits by eliminating the requirement
to have served in a specific war or conflict. Instead the bill requires
a veteran to serve for at least 90 days in order to be eligible for the
benefits listed below. A veteran who is discharged as a result of a serviceconnected
disability will be eligible without the 90 days service. The effected
benefits would be (1) civil service preference, (2) veteran's retirement
allowance under TPAF or PERS, (3) the purchase of additional military
service credit in PFRS, TPAF and PERS, and (4) the annual property tax
deduction or the property tax exemption. Don't let someone else's opinion
count more than yours. Vote. If you don't do it, who will?top
Editor's
Note: The following are common acronyms used in the previous bill summeries.
DCA
- Department of Community Affairs
DEP - Department of Environmental Protection
DHS - Department of Human Services
DMAVA - Department of Military and Veteran Affairs
DMV - Department of Motor Vehicles
DSM - N.J.'s Distinguished Service Medal
PAAD - Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled
Program
PERS - Public Employees 'Retirement Sys- tem
PFRS - Police and Firemen 's Retirement System
TPAF - Teachers 'Pension and Annuity Fund
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