Bill > S955

Introduced Session

This bill requires the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of Human Services, to establish a Military Suicide Prevention Task Force. The purpose of the task force will be to reduce military suicides and provide a plan for the elimination of all military suicides. The task force will recommend comprehensive strategies aimed at addressing suicide among members of the military, active duty and veterans, and will recommend ways to establish and execute plans and programs to implement those strategies. The task force will consist of 17 members, and it will be the duty of the task force to: identify and review the issues and concerns facing active duty service members and veterans; recommend measures the State should take to address the issues and concerns, including legislation if appropriate; examine data, research, programs, and initiatives related to military suicide, including the physical, social, emotional, and mental impact of military service, with a focus on deployments; identify evidence-based best practices to increase awareness of veteran suicide prevention hot lines, in New Jersey or nationally, and other crisis resources with proven effectiveness to reduce military suicide; identify effective strategies for promoting lifelong physical, social, emotional, and mental health of service members and veterans, and develop recommendations to implement those strategies; review the laws, regulations, and public policies governing services provided to active duty service members and veterans of this State, and determine whether those services are currently being performed in the most effective manner; and determine whether those services can be performed more efficiently and effectively by a county or municipal government and whether services now being provided by a county or municipal government may be more efficiently and effectively performed by State government. The task force will submit periodic reports, no less than twice a year, concerning the findings and actions related to its duties to the Governor and the Legislature.

Committee Categories

Kristin Corrado (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document