Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
                               ASSEMBLY, No. 3459
                             STATE OF NEW JERSEY
                               221st LEGISLATURE
                                           DATED: OCTOBER 2, 2024
                                                  SUMMARY
    Synopsis:                   Creates Military and Veterans Affairs Oversight Board.
    Type of Impact:             Annual State expenditure increase.
    Agencies Affected:          Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs.
                                       Office of Legislative Services Estimate
    Fiscal Impact                                                     Annual
    State Expenditure Increase                           Minimum of $154,000 to $168,000
    The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates that this bill will annually increase State
     expenditures by a minimum of $154,000 to $168,000 from the creation of the Military and
     Veterans Affairs Oversight Board in the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs.
    The OLS estimates that the heads, or designees, of 14 veteran 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(19)
     organizations will serve as members on the board with each member being entitled to a $1,000
     per diem allowance for each monthly meeting attended, not to exceed $12,000 per calendar
     year. The board must also hold a minimum of 11 monthly meetings per calendar year.
    Any change in the number of organizations serving as members on the board will result in a
     corresponding change in cost between $11,000 and $12,000.
    The State will also incur an indeterminate amount of costs to provide reimbursement to board
     members for reasonable travel and other expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
     Moreover, various other Executive Branch agencies will incur some amount of costs due to
     the required appointments of a liaison to the Military and Veterans Affairs Oversight Board
     and the required submission of various reports.
                                            BILL DESCRIPTION
    This bill creates a Military and Veterans Affairs Oversight Board in the Department of Military
and Veterans’ Affairs. The board is responsible for the oversight of: (1) all veteran service officers;
(2) each board, council, commission, program, and such similar entity, within the Department of
      Office of Legislative Services                                    Legislative Budget and Finance Office
           State House Annex                                                    Phone (609) 847-3105
              P.O. Box 068                                                       Fax (609) 777-2442
      Trenton, New Jersey 08625                                                  www.njleg.state.nj.us
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Military and Veterans’ Affairs; and (3) all programs, benefits, and services provided specifically
to military service members, veterans, and their families by any State Executive Branch
department, division, commission, or agency.
     This bill establishes the membership of the board to consist of the heads, or designees, of each
veteran 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) organization under the Internal Revenue Code operating in the
State. The board members are entitled to a per diem allowance of $1,000 for each monthly meeting
attended, which is not to exceed a total of $12,000 per calendar year. The board members are also
entitled to reimbursements for costs incurred during the performance of their duties and for
reasonable travel.
     The bill requires the board to meet once each calendar month with a minimum of 11 monthly
meetings held over the course of a calendar year. The bill permits the board to hold additional
meetings, as well as public meetings, as the board deems necessary.
     The bill also requires each Executive Branch department, division, commission, and agency
that provides programs, benefits, and services specifically for military service members, veterans,
and their families to appoint a liaison to the board to serve as a point of contact to the board. The
liaisons will be required to submit a biannual report to the board. The liaisons will also be required
to annually present to the board the portion of their State and federal budget that represents these
programs, benefits, and services. These requirements also apply to each board, council,
commission, and similar entity within the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs.
     The board is required to submit a report detailing a strategic plan based upon comprehensive
data acquired through engagement with State departments, divisions, commissions, and agencies,
and military service members, veterans, and their families to the Governor and the Legislature
within nine months of the organizational meetings and on an annual basis thereafter.
     The bill requires the department to include a request for sufficient funds for the operations of
the board in their annual budget request.
                                     FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
   None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
    The OLS estimates that this bill will annually increase State expenditures by a minimum of
$154,000 to $168,000 from the creation of the Military and Veterans Affairs Oversight Board in
the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs.
    The OLS estimates that the membership of the board will consist of the head, or a designee, of
14 veteran 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) organizations. The number of organizations was determined
by various lists of Veteran Service Organizations published by State executive departments. Each
member is entitled to a $1,000 per diem allowance for each monthly meeting attended, which is
not to exceed a total of $12,000 per calendar year. The board is also required to hold at least 11
monthly meetings per calendar year, meaning each member will annually receive either $11,000
or $12,000 for attending the board meetings.
    Using the estimated 14 organizations, the resulting annual State expenditure increase will fall
between $154,000 and $168,000 for the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs. Any
change in the number of organizations serving as members on the board will result in a
corresponding change of $11,000 to $12,000 per individual added or removed. Additionally, if a
member does not attend a meeting, the member will not receive the $1,000 per diem allowance.
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   The State will also incur an indeterminate amount of costs to provide reimbursement to board
members for reasonable travel and other expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
Moreover, various other Executive Branch agencies will incur some amount of costs due to the
required appointments of a liaison to the Military and Veterans Affairs Oversight Board and the
required submission of various reports.
  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.).