Sponsored by:
Senator OWEN HENRY
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Tiver
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program in DHS.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning nutritional benefits for veterans and supplementing Title 44 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services shall establish the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program. The Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program shall be a rebranding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that promotes the program, and provides program benefits, exclusively to veterans. All eligibility requirements, benefits, and funding of the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program shall conform to the eligibility requirements, benefits, and funding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
b. In order to implement the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program, the division shall:
(1) design, and distribute to eligibility determination agencies of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, promotional materials, applications, and any other documents associated with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program with the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program name and branding;
(2) design and issue to eligible beneficiaries electronic benefits transfer cards that bear the name and branding of the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program;
(3) develop a website on the divisions webpage, separate and distinct from the States Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program website, with the name and branding of the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program. The website shall provide: information about the programs eligibility requirements and benefits; contact information for applicants and beneficiaries to ask questions and receive assistance; directions to apply for the program via in-person means; an online portal to apply for the program and to check the status of an existing online application; and an online portal that allows beneficiaries to view existing benefits; and
(4) collaborate with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to ensure that information regarding the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program, as designed and developed under this subsection, is distributed to each county Veteran Service Office in the State and posted on the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs webpage.
c. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to:
(1) alter eligibility, benefits, funding, or any federal requirement of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as it exists upon the effective date of this section or as it is rebranded to establish the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program;
(2) discontinue or alter any existing promotional materials, program documents, or websites associated with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as they exist upon the effective date of this section; or
(3) replace the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program with the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program.
d. As used in this section:
Division means the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services.
Electronic Benefits Transfer Card means the payment card issued to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients by the Department of Human Services in connection with the electronic benefit distribution system implemented pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1997, c.37 (C.44:10-75), on which benefits for that program are deposited and through which recipients can purchase food.
Program means the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program means the New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program established pursuant to the federal "Food and Nutrition Act of 2008," as amended through Pub.L.110-246 (7 U.S.C. s.2011 et seq.).
Veteran means any enlisted person or officer who was discharged or otherwise released from active service in the United States Armed Forces, or any reserve component thereof, or the organized militia of New Jersey under conditions other than dishonorable, or as otherwise provided in subsection p. of section 6 of P.L.1954, c.84 (C.43:15A-6).
2. The Commissioner of Human Services, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services (division) to establish the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program, a rebranding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that promotes the program, and provides program benefits, exclusively to veterans. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, is a nutrition assistance program that serves as a safety net for low-income households. The bill defines veteran to mean any enlisted person or officer who was discharged or otherwise released from active service in the United States Armed Forces, or any reserve component thereof, or the organized militia of New Jersey under conditions other than dishonorable, or as otherwise provided in State law. Nationwide, according to recent research, 7.5 percent of veterans do not have enough food, but less than 5 percent of those veterans are enrolled in SNAP. It is the sponsors goal to increase veterans utilization of the food assistance benefits they have earned and deserve by rebranding SNAP specifically for veterans.
In order to implement the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program, the division is required to:
1) design, and distribute to eligibility determination agencies of SNAP, promotional materials, applications, and any other documents associated with SNAP with the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program name and branding;
2) design and issue to eligible beneficiaries electronic benefits transfer cards that bear the name and branding of the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program;
3) develop a website, separate and distinct from the States SNAP website, with the name and branding of the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program; and
4) collaborate with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to ensure that information regarding the Veterans Assistance for Nutritional Needs Program is distributed to each county Veteran Service Office in the State and posted on the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs webpage.
The bill explicitly states that that its provisions are not to be construed to:
1) alter eligibility, benefits, funding, or any federal requirement of SNAP, as it exists upon the effect