TRENTON, N.J. – In an effort to make it easier for New Jersey veterans to access various benefits, an Assembly committee on Monday passed Assemblymen Antwan McClellan and Erik Simonsen’s bill directing the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMAVA) to create a database of discharge papers.
“There are a myriad of veteran benefits, but they all have their own separate applications depending on the agency and the type of assistance. Our veterans are often finding themselves having to present the same proof of service over and over again. They are forced to enter a web of bureaucracy where physical papers can become lost or damaged,” McClellan (R-Cape May) explains. “Creating a database of veteran separation documents would lessen the burden on our heroes by simplifying part of the application process.”
The bill (A3055) creates a centralized database, maintained by DMAVA, of veteran separation documents such as a DD-214 or NGB-22. The documents must first be submitted voluntarily by a veteran or family member before being digitally added to the database. The information would only be accessible by a public agency for the purposes of determining benefit eligibility.
“New Jersey’s veterans have earned better access to benefits that help them secure housing, lower property taxes, receive medical care, and so much more. We must do better for our veterans, many of whom are seniors, and part of that entails streamlining the benefit process,” said Simonsen (R-Cape May), who cosponsors the bill.
New Jersey is home to more than 300,000 veterans. More than 160,000 of those veterans are 65 and older.
“We owe our veterans more than just words of gratitude,” added McClellan. “We owe them action, and this bill is a step in the right direction.”
