Trenton – Senators Joe Vitale and Joe Cryan announced new legislation to create an independent Department of Veterans Affairs, restructuring how New Jersey provides services to approximately 350,000 veterans across the state.
The bill, S-4376, would create a dedicated Department of Veterans Affairs, moving all veterans’ programs out of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMAVA) and into a standalone cabinet-level agency focused exclusively on veterans and their families. DMAVA will shift its focus solely to military operations under a new name, the Department of Military Affairs.
Meanwhile, the new Department of Veterans Affairs will take full responsibility for all veterans’ services across the state, including the management of veterans’ homes, cemeteries, Veterans Havens and other critical support programs.
“Our veterans have served this nation with honor, courage, and selflessness, and they deserve far more than just words of gratitude. They deserve a state government that is fully committed to meeting their unique needs at every level,” said Senator Vitale (D-Middlesex). Veterans’ services shouldn’t be forced to compete with countless other worthy priorities within DMAVA.
“This legislation changes that,” added Senator Vitale, Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “By creating a dedicated Department of Veterans Affairs, we are establishing a single, focused agency with one clear mission: to ensure that veterans and their families receive the benefits, healthcare, and support they deserve without delay or unnecessary red tape. This is about delivering stronger accountability, faster access to services, and making it clear that in New Jersey, our veterans will always come first.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic further revealed long-standing concerns about how veterans’ services are structured and delivered in New Jersey, the creation of a dedicated department represents a significant shift toward a more modern, accountable, and veteran-centered system. This reform will ensure that the care, benefits, and programs veterans rely on are managed with greater focus, efficiency, and responsiveness to their unique needs.
“Our veterans have made extraordinary sacrifices in service to our nation, and they deserve not just our gratitude, but our continuing commitment to their health and well-being. These veterans answered the call when their nation needed them; they deserve a system built specifically with their unique needs at its core,” said Senator Cryan (D-Union).
“For too long, veterans have had to navigate bureaucracies where their priorities are often overlooked or delayed,” added Senator Cryan, former Chair of the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. “This legislation will establish a dedicated, streamlined agency focused solely on honoring our veterans with timely support, essential services, and the dignity they have earned. We owe them nothing less.”
Once enacted, the creation of the Department of Veterans Affairs will bring New Jersey in line with approximately 30 other states that have established similar cabinet-level departments. The new agency will be responsible for all veteran-specific programs and services and is set to take effect 120 days after the bill is signed into law.
Finally, the new law would give veterans a direct line to the Governor’s Office and position New Jersey to better maximize federal resources and to coordinate veterans’ assistance across departments