SENATE, No. 1148
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator RAJ MUKHERJI
District 32 (Hudson)
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator O'Scanlon
SYNOPSIS
Requires professional boards to issue licenses for veterans with good standing license or certification in another jurisdiction under certain circumstances.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee on March 3, 2025, with amendments.
An Act concerning professional and occupational licenses and supplementing P.L.1978, c.73 (C.45:1-14 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a professional or occupational board designated in section 2 of P.L.1978, c.73 (C.45:1-15) that issues a professional or occupational license, certificate of registration, or certification for which professional training, education, or experience is required shall issue the license, certificate of registration, or certification to an applicant with a license and equivalent training, education, and experience received while serving or after serving as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States 1or a Reserve component thereof, including the New Jersey National Guard1, regardless of whether the license, training, education, or experience was obtained during or outside the applicant’s service 1[with the Armed Forces]1.
b. A professional or occupational board shall issue a license, certificate, or certification to an applicant who presents evidence to the board that:
(1) the applicant has 1[been honorably discharged] received an honorable or general, honorable conditions discharge1 from active 1or reserve1 military service 1or the New Jersey National Guard1; and
(2) the applicant’s license, certificate, or certification is in good standing in another jurisdiction; and
(3) the applicant complies with all other requirements for licensure, including, without limitation, any requirement for examination.
c. A professional or occupational board may require an applicant to provide any documentation of the applicant's training, education, or experience as it deems necessary by the board to determine eligibility.
d. A professional or occupational board shall provide methods of evaluating equivalent training, education, or experience obtained towards meeting the requirements for the issuance of a license, certificate, or certification pursuant to this section; provided however that no method of evaluating experience from another jurisdiction shall operate in such a manner as to require the same number of hours of experience by the applicant.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month next following the date of enactment, except that a board may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance of that date as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.