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.

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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. 
 
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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.

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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