LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

ASSEMBLY, No. 3177

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: MAY 1, 2024

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Establishes New Jersey Veteran Services Grant Program in DMVA; makes appropriation.

Type of Impact:

Annual State expenditure increase.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Year 1 

Year 2 & Thereafter 

 

State Expenditure Increase

Up to $2,000,000

Indeterminate

 

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that in the first year this bill will increase State expenditures by up to $2 million for the implementation of the veteran services grant program.  Future year costs to the State are indeterminate and will depend on the number and dollar amount of grants awarded to qualified veterans’ organizations to undertake the assistance and training requirements described in the bill.

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill establishes a veteran services grant program in the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs.  The program will provide grants to qualified veterans’ organization to: 1) assist veterans in applying for and receiving State and federal benefits; and 2) provide training to veterans service officers employed by the department.  Under the program, an organization can receive a grant for veterans’ assistance only, training only, or both.

      This bill requires the department to develop guidelines and procedures for the submission and evaluation of applications.  The department also must establish the terms and conditions for the awarding of grants and require the grant recipients to report their use of grant funds.  The department also must submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature regarding the effectiveness of the program.  Additionally, the bill requires the department to submit a request for sufficient funds to carry out the purposes and the intent of the program in their annual budget request.

      This bill appropriates $2 million to the department to administer the grant program.

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS concludes that in the first year this bill will increase State expenditures by up to $2 million for the implementation of the veteran services grant program.  Future year costs to the State are indeterminate and will depend on the number and dollar amount of grants awarded to qualified veterans’ organizations to undertake the assistance and training requirements described in the bill.  The department currently provides resources and outreach to the State’s veterans and their dependents through its network of regional Veterans Service Offices.  The OLS is unable to determine the extent of any further training the veterans service officers in these offices would require under the provisions of the bill, nor the associated costs to the State, or the number of additional veterans service officers, if any, the grant recipients would provide.

      The bill would cause an increase in the administrative workload of the department that may be absorbed by the department’s operating budget.

 

 

Section:

State Government

Analyst:

Camryn Mathews

Assistant Fiscal Analyst

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).