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.

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New US Laws

HR51 - To provide that persons retiring from the Armed Forces shall be entitled to all benefits which were promised them when they entered the Armed Forces.

HR62 - To establish election day in Presidential election years as a legal public holiday by moving the legal public holiday known as Veterans Day to election.

HR65 - To permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability to receive a portion of their military retired pay concurrently with veterans' disability compensation.

HR67 - To establish the Medicare Eligible Military Retiree Health Care Consensus Task Force.

HR81 - To allow a refundable credit to military retirees for premiums paid for coverage under Medicare part B.

HR134 - To revise the eligibility criteria for presumption of service-connection of certain diseases and disabilities for veterans exposed to ionizing radiation during military service.

HR157 - To provide that December 7 each year shall be treated for all purposes re- lated to Federal employment in the same manner as November 11.

HR171 - To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to ensure that veterans of the United States Armed Forces are eligible for discretionary relief from detention,deportation, exclusion, and removal.

HR179 - To restore health care coverage to retired members of the uniformed services.

HR208 - To direct the Secretary of the Treasury to determine and report to Congress an appropriate tax incentive to encourage individuals other than members of the Armed Forces to participate as members of honor guards at funerals for veterans.

HR288 - To extend eligibility to use the military health care system and commissary stores to an unremarried former spouse of a member of the uniformed services if the member performed at least 20 years of service which is creditable in determining the member ' eligibility for retired pay and the former spouse was married to the member for a period of at least 17 years during those years of service.

HR290 - To revise the effective date for an award of disability compensation by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 1151 of such title for persons disabled by treatment or vocational rehabilitation.

HR303 - To permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability to receive both military retired pay by reason of their years of military service and disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability.

HR320 - To improve benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill by establishing an enhanced educational assistance program,by increasing the amount of basic educational assistance,by repealing the requirement for reduction in pay for participation in the program, by authorizing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make accelerated payments of basic educational assistance.

HR336 - To enhance outreach programs carried out by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for more fully informing eligible surviving spouses and dependents of deceased veterans of benefits available to them under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and to improve assistance provided at local levels by providing for staff with specific responsibilities to assist those individuals in obtaining benefits under those laws.

HR406 - To prohibit an insurer from treating a veteran differently in the terms or conditions of motor vehicle insurance because a motor vehicle operated by the veteran,during a period of military service by the veteran,was insured or owned by the United States.

HR435 - To improve access to medical services for veterans seeking treatment at Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinics with exceptionally long waiting periods.

HR439 - To extend commissary and exchange store privileges to veterans with a service-connected disability rated at 30 percent or more and to the dependents of such veterans.

HR440 - To authorize transportation on mili- tary aircraft on a space-available basis for veterans with a service-connected disability rated 50 percent or more.

HR442 - To increase the maximum amount of a home loan guarantee available to a veteran.

HR462 - To provide that military reservists who are retained in active status after qualifying for reserve retired pay shall be given credit toward computation of such retired pay for service performed after so qualifying.

HR491 - To deem certain service in the organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts to have been active service for purposes of benefits under programs administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

HR510 - To authorize the design and construction of a temporary education center at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the District of Columbia.

HR511 - To improve outreach programs carried out by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for more fully informing veterans of benefits available to them under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

HR514 - To provide a presumption of service connection for certain specified dis- eases and disabilities in the case of veterans who were exposed during military service to carbon tetrachloride.

HR545 - To revise the effective date for certain awards of dependency and indemnity compensation made by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to survivors of veterans who died during the Vietnam era or later.

HR551 - To provide that the rate of reimbursement for motor vehicle travel under the beneficiary travel program of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall be the same as the rate for private vehicle reimbursement for Federal employees.

HR594 - To amend the Social Security Act to further extend health care coverage under the Medicare Program.

HR606 - To direct the Secretaries of the military departments to conduct a review of military ervice records to determine whether certain Jewish American war veterans,including those previously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross,Navy Cross,or Air Force Cross,should be awarded the Medal of Honor.

HR609 - To provide limited authority for concurrent receipt of military retired pay and veterans 'disability compensation in the case of certain disabled military retirees who are 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.

HR745 - To prevent veterans 'contributions to GI bill benefits from reducing Federal student financial assistance.

HR764 - To provide a presumption of service connection for injuries classified as cold weather injuries which occur in veterans who,while engaged in military operations, had sustained exposure to cold weather.

HR801 - To improve programs of educational assistance,to expand programs of transition assistance and outreach to departing servicemembers,veterans,and dependents, to increase burial benefits,and to provide for family coverage under Service members' Group Life Insurance.

HR811 - To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out construction projects for the purpose of improving,renovating,and updating patient care facilities at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers.

HR818 - To grant a Federal charter to the Ukrainian American Veterans,Incorporated.

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 provide that annuities of the Social Security Act paid by States to blind veterans shall be disregarded in determining supplemental security income benefits.

S38 - To permit former members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability rated as total to travel on military aircraft in the same manner and to the same extent as retired members of the Armed Forces are entitled to travel on such aircraft.

S42 - To require the Secretary of the Army to determine the validity of the claims of certain Filipinos that they performed military service on behalf of the United States during World War II.

S43 - To authorize certain disabled former prisoners of war to use Department of Defense commissary and exchange stores.

S62 - To revise certain provisions relating to the appointment of professional psychologists in the Veterans Health Administration.

S97 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 with respect to the eligibility of veterans for mortgage revenue bond financing.

S129 - To provide for the payment of a monthly stipend to the surviving parents (known as "Gold Star Parents")of members of the Armed Forces who die during a period of war.

S131 - To modify the annual determination of the rate of the basic benefit of active duty educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill.

S145 - To increase to parity with other surviving spouses the basic annuity that is provided under the uniformed services Survivor Benefit Plan for surviving spouses who are at least 62 years of age.

S170 - To permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability to receive both military retired pay by reason of their years of military service and disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability.

S186 - To provide access and choice for use of generic drugs instead of non-generic drugs under Federal health care programs.

S278 - To restore health care coverage to retired members of the uniformed services.

S281 - To authorize the design and construction of a temporary education center at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

S305 - To remove the reduction in the amount of Survivor Benefit Plan annuities at age 62.

S381 - To amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act,the Soldiers 'and Sailors 'Civil Relief Act of 1940 to maximize the access of uniformed services voters and recently separated uniformed services 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,Incorporated.

S405 - To improve outreach programs carried out by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for more fully informing veterans of benefits available to them under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

S409 - To clarify the standards for compensation for Persian Gulf veterans suffering from certain undiagnosed illnesses.

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New NJ Bills

A14 - Establishes Operation Recognition to provide State endorsed high school di- plomas to veterans who left high school to serve in the armed forces during World War I or World War II.

A105 - Requires DMV to accept military retiree identification card as proof of legal name on driver ' licenses.

A214 - Excludes Armed Services combat zone pay from gross income taxation.

A216 - Revises membership of USS NJ Battleship Commission;expands powers to operate the berthing site.

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 and 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 Vet Group,Inc. for services to veterans.

A671/S689 - Authorizes special license plate for DSM recipients.

A678/S699 - Requires State reimbursement to municipalities of cost of disabled veterans 'total property tax exemption.(A678 combined with bills A743 &A378).

A70/S103 - Extends veterans 'property tax exemption to tenant shareholders in cooperatives and mutual housing corporations.

A765 - Directs N.J.Highway Authority to designate Garden State Parkway as memorial highway to ex-POW 's (Passed Assembly Oct.30,2000).

A979 - Reallocates appropriate funds to pay disabled veterans 'retroactive refund claims for property tax payments.

A1195 - Makes certain changes in retirement provisions for PERS members who are veterans.

A1197 - Entitles representatives of WAC, WAVES, Women Marines and Vietnam Veterans of America to leave of absence with pay to attend conventions state employees only.

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 Disabled American Veterans Department of N.J.

A1249/S1907 - Permits certain TPAF veteran retirees to receive paid health benefits under State Health Benefits Program.

A1256/S847 - Excludes U.S.military pensions and survivors benefits of persons less than 62 years of age from gross income taxation.(Assembly Floor Amendments Passed 2/22/01)

A1258 - Grants local government budget cap exception for personnel costs of employees in military reserves and N.J.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.

A1330/S1894 - Expands certain veterans' benefits to certain participants in the Lebanon Crisis of 1958.(Passed in Assembly 2/ 24/00).

A1336/S1149 - Extends TPAF,PERS and PFRS veteran 's status to certain participants in peace-keeping operations in Somalia and Republic of Bosnia and Herzgovina.(Passed in Assembly 5/25/00; Senate Floor Amendment Passed 12/4/00).

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 busi- nesses of sales and use tax paid.

A1664 - Requires N.J/Public Broadcasting Authority and the Department of Military and Veterans 'Affairs to videotape certain N.J.veterans;appropriates $100,000.

A1711 - Broadens the criteria under certain circumstance,for eligibility for 100% exemption from property taxes for the surviving spouses of certain veterans.

A1745/S809 - Supplemental appropriation of $100,000 to DEP for replacement of Civil War statue.

A1847/340 - Revises membership of USSNJ Battleship Commission,designates Foundation for the USSNJ Battleship as operator of battleship site and grants control over battleship to the Commission.

A1863 - "Veterans 'Property Tax Relief Act of 2000."

A1971/S422 - Provides special license plates for Purple Heart recipients.(Passed in Senate 2/7/00).

A2004/S503 - Revises retirement provisions for PERS members who are veterans.

A2028/S609 - Implements proposed constitutional amendment extending eligibility for property tax deduction to N.J.resident who is surviving spouse of nonresi- dent veteran.

A2042/S24 - Makes supplemental appropriation of $7.2 million from the General Fund for Inter-Department Account capital construction project costs of the Battleship USS NJ refurbishment.

A2156 - Abolishes battleship commission and foundation;transfers funds to special account.

A2177/S1842 - Supplemental appropriation of $100,000 from General Fund for NJ Naval Militia Joint Command.(Passed Both Houses 02/15/01)

A2276 - Directs that N.J.Turnpike be designated N.J.Veterans Turnpike, appropriates $500,00.

A2349/S1123 - Authorizes free hunting, fishing,and trapping licenses and State park admission for persons with certain types of military service.

A2402/S638 - Extends period of restricted sale of poppies to raise funds to benefit veterans.(Passed Both Houses 1/29/01).

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.

A2527/S1045 - Establishes special license plates for World War II Veterans (Passed by the Senate 6/8/2000).

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.

A2713 - Provides for non-binding referendum as to the permanent berthing of the Battleship USS NJ;makes an appropriation.

A2783/S1388 - Supplemental appropriation of $50,000 to DMAVA for study of veterans needs.(Passed Senate 10/23/00)

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.

A2833 - Redesigns special prisoner of war license plates.

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.

A3091/S1997 - Supplemental appropriation of $25,000 to Division of Housing and Community Resources in DCA to fund grant to Willingboro Township for veterans' memorial.

A3180 - Authorizes special Bronze Star license plates.

A3234 - Supplemental appropriation of $500,000 from General Fund to Department of Military and Veterans Affairs for Veterans Guide and Veterans Journal.

S24 - Makes supplemental appropriation of $7.2 million from General Fund for capital construction project costs of Battleship USS NJ 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.

S465 - Authorizes special license plates for members of the Disabled American Veterans Department of N.J.

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).

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.

S766 - Authorizes "Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation" license plate.

S971 - Extends certain veterans' benefits to persons inducted into active service through the United States Selective Service System during the Cold War.

S1241 - Provides property tax exemption for fractional ownership by 100%disabled veteran in continuing care facility.

S1294 - Extends eligibility for NJ DSM to 25 year State residents.

S1975 - Exempts from the sales and use tax sales made at concession stands located in State-owned veterans 's homes.

S2095/A3236 - Supplemental appropriation of $6 million to DHS for Social Services to the Homeless grant program and $2 million to DMAVA to assist homeless veterans.

S2101 - Eliminates criteria qualified voter must meet to receive military or civilian absentee ballot.

S2165 - Supplemental appropriation of $40,000 to Division of Housing and Community Resources in DCA to fund grant to East Greenwich Township for veteran's memorial.

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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