Title 38A, Title 38A: MILITARY AND VETERANS LAW

38A:21-12 Determining person seeking to be considered a veteran, disabled veteran. 38A:21-12. The Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall determine whether any person seeking to be considered a "veteran" or a "disabled veteran" under N.J.S.11A:5-1, N.J.S.18A:66-2…

38A:21-13 Department of Veterans Affairs personnel. 38A:21-13. The personnel of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall consist of the following classes of employees: a. Classified civil service employees. b. Unclassified civil service employees, who may be relieved, suspended, …

38A:21-14 Department of Veterans Affairs, annual budget. 38A:21-14. a. The department shall submit its annual budget request directly to the Governor and the State Treasurer. b. The commissioner may demand and receive, for the services of the department, except for establishment …

38A:21-15 Department of Veterans Affairs, appropriate seal. 38A:21-15. The commissioner shall have an appropriate seal and have affixed an impression of the same to all certificates of record issued from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Copies of any books, records, papers, an…

38A:21-16 Department of Veterans Affairs, administrative services. 38A:21-16. The department, through its divisions, shall administer veteran: a. administrative services; b. loans, grants, and services; and c. training, information, and referrals. L.2025, c.139, s.14.

38A:21-17 Salary established by commissioner, with approval, Department of Veterans Affairs. 38A:21-17. a. A director of a division in the department shall receive such salary as may be established by the commissioner with the approval of the Civil Service Commission and the Dire…

38A:21-18 Department of Veterans Affairs, divisions, memorial services. 38A:21-18. The department, through its divisions, shall: a. supervise and operate all New Jersey Veterans' Memorial Homes, including: the New Jersey Veterans' Memorial Home-Menlo Park; the New Jersey Veterans…

38A:21-19 Division under supervision of qualified director, Department of Veterans Affairs. 38A:21-19. Any division established or created by the commissioner shall be under the immediate supervision of a director who shall be qualified by training and experience to direct the wo…

38A:21-2 Department of Veterans Affairs. 38A:21-2. There is established in the Executive Branch of the State government a principal department which shall be known as the Department of Veterans Affairs. L.2025, c.139, s.2.

38A:21-20 Drug testing, direct care staff member, veterans' memorial home. 38A:21-20. a. As a condition of employment as a direct care staff member at a New Jersey veterans’ memorial home, an applicant for employment shall consent to and undergo drug testing for controlled danger…

38A:21-21 Transfer of remains, Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans' Memorial Cemetery. 38A:21-21. The department shall establish a program to oversee the transfer of the remains of veterans from paupers' or potters' cemeteries to the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Vet…

38A:21-22 Qualified veterans' organization, right to receive cremains. 38A:21-22. a. A funeral director, licensed pursuant to P.L.1952, c.340 (C.45:7-32 et seq.), shall grant a qualified veterans' organization, as defined in subsection b. of section 2 of P.L.1983, c.385 (C.26:7-1…

38A:21-23 Department of Veterans Affairs, services, blind, paraplegic, hemiplegic. 38A:21-23. The department, through its divisions, shall: a. administer the Blind Veterans' Allowance Program established pursuant to R.S.38:18-1 et seq.; b. administer the Paraplegic and Hemiplegic…

38A:21-24 Department of Veterans Affairs, services, outreach, rehabilitation, educational programs. 38A:21-24. The department, through its divisions, shall: a. administer the operations of the Vietnam Veterans' Outreach Program; b. administer all federal and State training and re…

38A:21-25 Commission on Women Veterans. 38A:21-25. a. There is created in the Department of Veterans Affairs the Commission on Women Veterans. The commission shall work in collaboration with other State agencies and appropriate groups to study and review the needs, priorities, pr…

38A:21-26 Registry of organizations providing services to military veterans. 38A:21-26. a. The Department of Veterans Affairs shall create and maintain a registry of all organizations that provide services to military veterans. The registry shall be prominently displayed, and org…

38A:21-27 Veterans Haven North Council, Veterans Haven South Council. 38A:21-27. a. There is created within the Department of Veterans Affairs two advisory councils to be known as Veterans Haven North Council and Veterans Haven South Council. The Veterans Haven North Council shal…

38A:21-28 Veterans Haven council duties. 38A:21-28. Under general policies established by the commissioner, each Veterans Haven council shall: a. formulate comprehensive policies for the coordination of all services for the benefit of veterans housed at the Veterans Haven facilit…

38A:21-29 Assistance to qualified veterans, in-patient, out-patient treatment programs, travel to certain medical counseling appointments. 38A:21-29. The Department of Veterans Affairs shall establish a program to provide assistance to qualified veterans in in-patient and out-pat…

38A:21-3 Definitions. 38A:21-3. As used in this act, N.J.S.38A:21-1 et al.: "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs; "Department" means the Department of Veterans Affairs established pursuant to this act; and "Veteran" means any person who has …

38A:21-30 Website, information on war battles, places of historic significance to military, war efforts in New Jersey. 38A:21-30. a. The Department of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State and the New Jersey Historica…

38A:21-31 New Jersey Commission on Veterans Benefits, membership. 38A:21-31. a. There is hereby established in the Department of Veterans Affairs the New Jersey Commission on Veterans Benefits, consisting of 13 members as follows: (1) the Commissioner of the Department of Veteran…

38A:21-32 Statewide veterans' benefits strategic plan. 38A:21-32. a. It shall be the duty of the New Jersey Commission on Veterans Benefits to develop, maintain, and annually update a five-year Statewide veterans' benefits strategic plan that includes goals and measurable outcome…

38A:21-33 Discharge status change, separation due solely to sexual orientation, gender identity, expression. 38A:21-33. a. All former service members of the Armed Forces who were separated from the service with a general or other than honorable discharge due solely to their sexua…

38A:21-4 Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 38A:21-4. The administrator and head of the department shall be a commissioner, who shall be known as the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs and who shall be an honorably discharged veteran qualified by …

38A:21-5 Functions, powers, duties, Department of Veterans Affairs commissioner. 38A:21-5. The commissioner, as head of the department, shall have all of the functions, powers, and duties heretofore vested in the Administrator of Veterans Affairs of the Department of Military and…

38A:21-6 Reference to Adjutant General deemed reference to Commissioner, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Veterans Affairs, other areas; transference. 38A:21-6. a. References in the following to the Adjutant General and the Department of Military and Veterans…

38A:21-7 Transfers made, State Agency Transfer Act, Department of Veterans Affairs. 38A:21-7. The transfers made by this act, N.J.S.38A:21-1 et al., shall be made in accordance with the "State Agency Transfer Act," P.L.1971, c. 375 (C.52:14D-1 et seq.). The programs developed wit…

38A:21-8 Deputy commissioner, Department of Veterans Affairs. 38A:21-8. The commissioner shall appoint at least one deputy commissioner who shall be designated to perform all of the powers, functions, and duties of the commissioner during the absence or disability of the commissi…

38A:21-9 Financial planning assistance program, disabled veterans, caregivers, Department of Veterans Affairs. 38A:21-9. The Department of Veterans Affairs, through its regional network of Veteran Service Offices, shall establish a financial planning assistance program for disabl…

38A:21A-1 Office of the Veteran Advocate established. 1. There is established the Office of the Veteran Advocate in the Executive Branch of the State Government. For purposes of complying with Article V, Section IV, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, the office is alloca…

38A:21A-10 Annual report, Governor, Legislature. 10. The Veteran Advocate shall report annually to the Governor, the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), and the head of the department on: the activities of the office; priorities for veteran’s ser…

38A:21A-11 Veteran Advocate, findings made public, limitations. 11. a. The Veteran Advocate shall make public its significant findings of investigation reports or other studies undertaken by the office, including its significant investigatory findings to complaints received pursu…

38A:21A-12 Funds appropriated from General Fund to Office of the Veteran Advocate. 13. a. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of the Veteran Advocate established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2025, c.172 (C.38A:21A-1) such funds as shall be necessary for the …

38A:21A-2 Veteran Advocate, salary, term, background. 2. a. The administrator and chief executive officer of the office shall be the Veteran Advocate. The Veteran Advocate shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Any person appointed to the p…

38A:21A-3 Veteran Advocate, duties, responsibilities. 3. a. The Veteran Advocate shall: (1) administer the work of the Office of the Veteran Advocate; (2) appoint and remove such legal counsel, officers, investigators, stenographic, and clerical assistants, and other personnel, i…

38A:21A-4 Veteran Advocate, actions involving veterans’ facilities, other sites under supervision of department. 4. a. The Veteran Advocate may: (1) inspect and review the operations, policies, and procedures of veterans’ facilities operated by the department; (2) investigate, re…

38A:21A-5 Veteran Advocate, receiving, investigating complaints from veterans, family. 5. The Veteran Advocate shall serve as an ombudsman for veterans and their families by receiving and investigating complaints from veterans and family members of veterans in this State and issu…

38A:21A-6 Veteran Advocate, redress of systemic issues. 6. a. If the Veteran Advocate identifies a systemic problem in how the department protects veterans, the Veteran Advocate shall meet with the department to provide a reasonable opportunity to discuss the problem and identify…

38A:21A-7 Collective bargaining agreement involving union employee in Office of the Veteran Advocate. 7. To the extent an investigation commenced by the Office of the Veteran Advocate involves a union employee, to the extent not inconsistent with State and federal law, the collec…

38A:21A-8 Veteran Advocate, additional powers, litigation, administrative proceedings. 8. a. In addition to the powers granted in section 4 of this act, the Veteran Advocate may: (1) intervene in or institute litigation, including appearing in the capacity of an amicus curiae, as…

38A:21A-9 Veteran Advocate to seek approval of certain parties to conduct investigation. 9. a. The Veteran Advocate shall seek the approval of a veteran, the veteran’s estate, or adult guardian, as applicable, or obtain the approval of a court of competent jurisdiction, to conduc…

38A:22-1 Veterans' preference, private employment, voluntary commitments. 38A:22-1. a. The department shall organize and administer a program of voluntary commitments by employers throughout the State to participate in a plan of veterans' preference in private employment and reem…

38A:22-2 Approval, disapproval of policies, work programs related to veterans. 38A:22-2. The department shall review and approve or disapprove all policies and work programs of State departments, agencies, and instrumentalities relating to veterans' welfare, services, or activiti…

38A:22-3 Dependent of prisoner of war, person missing in action, tuition-free higher education. 38A:22-3. a. Any dependent of a prisoner of war or a person missing in action, upon being accepted to pursue a course of undergraduate study in any private institution of higher educat…

38A:22-4 Courses considered full-time, Veteran's Educational Assistance, definitions. 38A:22-4. a. As used in this section: "Approved course of study" means any curriculum or any combination of unit courses or subjects pursued at an educational institution which is accepted for V…