38A:3-49 Assistance for travel for certain veterans.

1. The Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs shall establish a program to provide assistance to qualified veterans in in-patient and out-patient treatment programs to travel to attend medical counseling appointments for service-connected conditions approved and authorized by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs within this State.

The department shall:

a. develop, in cooperation with the New Jersey Transit Corporation and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, a program to provide reimbursement, subject to available State or federal funding, to qualified veterans who spend their own funds to travel on public transportation to and from medical counseling appointments for service-connected conditions within the State using any motor bus or rail passenger service conducted by the corporation when the veteran is not otherwise eligible for payment for travel or reimbursement by means of any existing State or federal program;

b. develop, in cooperation with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, a program to provide reimbursement to qualified veterans who spend their own funds to travel using private transportation to and from medical counseling appointments for service-connected conditions within the State by reimbursing on a per mile basis their operation of a privately-owned conveyance when that veteran is not otherwise eligible for payment for travel or reimbursement by means of any existing State or federal program, provided that the qualified veteran shall not use a for-hire private entity that charges for transportation unless such transportation is necessary for the qualified veteran due to a service-connected injury or disability for which the veteran has a certified rating provided by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs which prevents or hinders his or her ability to operate a privately-owned conveyance;

c. develop, in coordination with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, a system for monitoring veterans who have applied for reimbursement;

d. notify the general public and eligible veterans that the program established by this section is available to qualified veterans; and

e. adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.

L.2015, c.211, s.1.