SENATE MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3492

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JANUARY 30, 2023

      The Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 3492 with committee amendments.

     As amended, under this bill and subject to the availability of federal funds provided by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and federal funds provided or made accessible to the State from the federal “American Rescue Plan Act of 2021,” the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs will convert at least one ward in the New Jersey Veterans' Memorial Home-Menlo Park and at least one ward in the New Jersey Veterans' Memorial Home-Paramus to single occupancy rooms. 

     If the federal funds are not sufficient to accomplish the conversions and upgrades, there will appropriated such sums from the General Fund as necessary, in amounts subject to approval by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting, for use by the department to accomplish the changes outlined in the bill.  

      As amended, the bill also requires that if the department has not implemented the provisions of the bill within one year of the effective date, the Adjutant General is required to appear before certain legislative committees to explain why the provisions of the bill have not been implemented and provide a plan for implementing the provisions.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amended the bill to:

      (1)  delete the requirement for single occupancy rooms to have negative pressure ventilation to support infectious disease control measures;

      (2)  provide that the Adjutant General will have the discretion to require additional modifications to rooms, including, but not limited to, negative pressure ventilation, to support infectious disease control measures; and

      (3)  if the department has not implemented the provisions of the bill within one year of the effective date, the Adjutant General is required to appear before certain legislative committees to explain why the provisions of the bill have not been implemented and provide a plan for implementing the provisions.