Bill Text: NJ S1534 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Expands acceptable military separation forms for county veteran identification card; allows issuance to National Guard veterans of other states.*
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 7-3)
Status: (Enrolled - Dead) 2018-01-08 - Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) (67-0-0) [S1534 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-S1534-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH PENNACCHIO
District 26 (Essex, Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Permits county clerk to accept additional approved separation forms for issuing county veteran identification card; allows issuance of card only for honorable service or service under honorable conditions.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning county veteran identification cards and amending P.L.2012, c.30.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.2012, c.30 (C.40A:9-78.4) is amended to read as follows:
2. As used in this act, P.L.2012, c.30 (C.40A:9-78.1 et seq.), "veteran" means a person who has served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard of the United States or a Reserve component thereof or the National Guard of this State as defined in section 1 of P.L.1963, c.109 (C.38A:1-1), and has been honorably discharged or released [under conditions other than dishonorable] or generally discharged or released under honorable conditions from such service.
(cf: P.L.2012, c.30, s.2)
2. Section 4 of P.L.2012, c.30 (C.40A:9-78.4) is amended to read as follows:
4. a. When such a program has been authorized, the county clerk or register of deeds and mortgages, as appropriate, shall issue an identification card to any veteran who is a resident of the county, who does not hold an identification card issued by the federal government that identifies the person as a veteran, and who was either honorably discharged or released or generally discharged or released under honorable conditions. The veteran identification card shall bear the true name, branch of the [armed forces] military in which the veteran served, date of card issuance, separation form submitted, and other identifying information as certified by the applicant for such veteran identification card. Every application for a veteran identification card shall be signed and certified by the applicant and shall be supported by such documentary evidence as the county clerk or register of deeds and mortgages, as appropriate, may require.
b. The documentary evidence required by subsection a. of this section shall include the applicant's DD-214 form issued by the federal government or approved separation forms as outlined by all branches of the military and duly recorded by the office. The county clerk or register of deeds and mortgages, as appropriate, shall require a copy of the [applicant's DD-214 form] documentary evidence submitted to be kept on file with the application for [a] the veteran identification card, and shall note the location of the original DD-214 or other approved separation form on that application form. The copy of the [DD-214] documentary evidence submitted and the application shall be kept confidential and shall not be considered a government record under P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.), except that they may be released to another government agency.
(cf: P.L.2012, c.30, s.4)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill permits a county clerk to accept additional approved separation forms other than DD Form 214 (DD-214) for issuing a county veteran identification card.
Under current law, the documentary evidence that a veteran must submit in order to receive a county veteran identification card must include a DD-214. This excludes those men and women who have proudly served their country but do not possess a DD-214, notwithstanding that other separation forms are issued and approved by various branches of the military. This bill would amend the law to allow county clerks to accept those other approved separation forms, as specified by all branches of the military, when issuing a county veteran identification card.
Further, this bill requires that all county veteran identification cards indicate on the card the date of card issuance and type of separation form submitted by the veteran to the county clerk as part of the veteran's documentary evidence, for example, "DD Form 214," or "WD AGO 53."
This bill also amends the law to specify that only those veterans who were honorably discharged or released or generally discharged or released under honorable conditions are eligible to receive a county veteran identification card. Current law provides that anyone discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable is eligible to receive the card.
