ASSEMBLY MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5854

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 14, 2021

      The Assembly Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 5854.

     This bill requires the Division of Veterans’ Healthcare Services in the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs to establish a position to be known as a resident advocate at each State veterans’ memorial home.  The bill also requires that the resident advocate would have a direct reporting relationship to the director of the division.

     Under the bill, the resident advocate would:

     (1)  act as a liaison between the State veterans’ memorial home and each of the residents at the State veterans’ memorial home;

     (2)  receive complaints from residents at the State veterans memorial home; and

     (3)  respond to any concerns or grievances from the residents at the State veterans’ memorial home and, if appropriate, submit concerns or grievances to the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.

     The bill also requires the division to develop, publish, and distribute a written and electronic complaint form to be used by the resident advocate to record any received complaints from the residents at the State veterans’ memorial home and establishes a record retention requirement for those complaints.

     Currently, the three State veterans’ memorial homes are the following: The New Jersey Veterans' Memorial Home-Menlo Park; the New Jersey Veterans' Memorial Home-Vineland, and the New Jersey Veterans' Memorial Home-Paramus.