The bill amends New Jersey law to broaden the eligibility criteria for veterans' benefits by eliminating specific service requirements related to dates and locations. It redefines "disabled veteran" to include any veteran eligible for compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for a service-connected disability, without the previous stipulation that service must be exclusively from wartime. The definition of "veteran" is expanded to include individuals who have served at least 90 days of active service in the Armed Forces or as a member of a Reserve Component called to federal active service, regardless of whether they completed the full service period. Additionally, individuals who served fewer than 90 days and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable due to a service-connected disability can now be classified as veterans.

The bill also updates definitions related to the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund, including the recognition of honorably discharged members of the American Merchant Marine who served during World War II as veterans eligible for federal benefits. It modernizes language regarding the definitions of "child," "widow," and "widower," replacing outdated terms and including domestic partners in the definitions. Furthermore, it modifies the criteria for accidental death benefits to include domestic partners and waives the five-year marriage or partnership requirement. Overall, these changes aim to create a more inclusive framework for recognizing and supporting veterans and their families in New Jersey.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 43:15A-6, 43:15A-24, 43:15A-73.1, 43:16A-11.11