DeAngelo, Eustace, Mukherji & Holley Bill to Create Registry of Organizations Providing Services
(TRENTON) - Legislation Assemblymen Wayne DeAngelo, Tim Eustace, Raj Mukherji and Jamel Holley sponsored to create a "one-stop shop" for military veterans seeking assistance in New Jersey heads to the Governor's desk after recent approval by the full Senate, 38-0. The bill (A-3748) would require the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs to create a comprehensive online registry of organizations providing services to veterans. Inclusion on the webpage would not constitute an endorsement of an organization by the department or state. "Men and women in uniform make sacrifices to help people here at home and all around the world, but when they need a little help themselves, they sometimes find the system difficult to navigate," said DeAngelo (D-Mercer/Middlesex), vice-chair of the Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee. "Creating a registry is a simple task that can go a long way toward making life easier for some of our nation's finest citizens." "New Jersey must embrace its obligation to honor veterans and do everything possible to serve them, just as they've served this nation," said Eustace (D-Bergen/Passaic). "By providing these upstanding men and women with a directory where they easily can connect to organizations that are familiar with the needs of veterans, the state can eliminate confusion and significantly reduce the amount of time veterans have to spend researching what's available to them." "A single website listing resources for veterans is a common-sense solution that will help those who served navigate the maze of organizations providing services," said Mukherji (D-Hudson), a former sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. "We owe it to our vets to help them avoid unnecessary frustration and simplify their access to organizations that understand their needs." "Veterans should never have to go searching from place to place to find answers," said Holley (D-Union). "Putting all the organizations that can help them under one roof is a smart, easy way to support those who answered their nation's call to serve." The measure received unanimous Assembly approval, 73-0, on Sept. 29.
