ASSEMBLY MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 265

 

with committee amendments

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED:  JUNE 9, 2021

 

      The Assembly Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Resolution No. 265.

     Currently, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs provides eligible veterans with a one-time grant of approximately $21,400 to assist the veteran in purchasing a new or used automobile and any necessary adaptive equipment, such as special pedals or switches.  The one-time grant program fails to take into account that a veteran with disabilities is likely to need more than one vehicle during the veteran’s lifetime.  According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the average age of a household vehicle is 11.8 years, and a vehicle that has been modified structurally tends to have a shorter useful life.  The substantial cost of a modified vehicle, coupled with inflation, present a financial hardship for many veterans with disabilities who need to replace their primary mode of transportation once their vehicle reaches its lifespan.

     The bipartisan Advancing Uniform Transportation Opportunities for Veterans Act would ease the financial burden for a veteran with a service-connected severe disability who requires special adaptive equipment to drive a motor vehicle by providing eligible veterans with the opportunity to receive a grant to help purchase a new adaptive vehicle once every 10 years instead of the current program which only provides a one-time grant.

     This House respectfully urges Congress to pass the Advancing Uniform Transportation Opportunities for Veterans Act, which would support the needs of veterans with disabilities.

 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

      There is a proposed committee amendment to the bill to correct a grammatical error.