STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Urges Congress support “Disabled Veterans Commissary and Exchange Store Benefits Act.”
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee with technical review.
A Senate Resolution urging Congress to support the “Disabled Veterans Commissary and Exchange Store Benefits Act.”
Whereas, Military commissaries sell groceries and household goods at cost plus a five percent surcharge, saving customers an average of more than 30 percent compared to traditional supermarkets; and
Whereas, The commissary provides wholesome food beyond what is supplied in official military rations, and the savings they provide supplement military pay; and
Whereas, Currently, only active duty service members, members of the National Guard and Reserves, military retirees, 100-percent disabled veterans, Medal of Honor recipients, and the families of these groups are eligible to shop at commissaries, either online or on base; and
Whereas, The “Disabled Veterans Commissary and Exchange Store Benefits Act” would extend online military commissary and exchange store privileges to veterans with a compensable service-connected disability as well as to their dependents; and
Whereas, Over the last few years, commissary sales have decreased substantially as military members and their families shop at other locations and as the size of the military continues to decrease; and
Whereas, Permitting disabled veterans to use the commissaries could be an important part of supporting the military community because commissaries distribute dividends to morale, welfare, and recreation programs and other military activities, and the additional purchases by disabled veterans would provide additional money for quality of life programs; and
Whereas, Under the act, online shopping access would be available to veterans who have received an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions who served as members of the National Guard and the United States Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard, as well as their Reserve components, who have a compensable service-connected disability; and
Whereas, Extending the privilege of online shopping to these veterans would be a good way to thank veterans for their service, increase sales for commissaries, and increase distributions to base programs; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House urges Congress to support the “Disabled Veterans Commissary and Exchange Store Benefits Act” by extending military commissary and exchange store privileges to veterans with a service-connected disability and their dependents.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the President and the Vice President of the United States, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore and Minority Leader of the United States Senate, each member of Congress elected from this State, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.