N.J. Stat. tit. 38A, ch. 25

in effect

N.J. Stat. § 38A:25-1 Findings, declarations.

38A:25-1. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. Residents of New Jersey have answered the call to fight for our country many times as members of the United States military and as members of the New Jersey National Guard. b. Throughout history, New Jersey residents have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and have given their life for our freedom. c. The family members left behind after the untimely deaths of these brave service members, known as Gold Star family members, are often left with emotional wounds who need the caring intervention of a mental health professional to grieve and learn to live with the new reality of their loved one's passing. d. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs has taken the lead to provide mental health care to veterans and certain family members with the establishment of the Care Enough to Share program, which links mental health professionals with an opportunity to volunteer their time and talents to help the nation's veterans and certain family members by providing mental health counseling. e. It is honorable and necessary that the State of New Jersey assist these Gold Star family members in their grief by establishing programs that can link mental health care professionals with the family members to provide the needed mental health care free of charge to the families. L.2025, c.139, s.58.

N.J. Stat. § 38A:25-2 Definitions.

38A:25-2. As used in this section and N.J.S.38A:25-3: "Gold Star family member" means an individual who is a New Jersey resident and is the surviving spouse, domestic partner, partner in a civil union, parent, brother, sister, child, legal guardian, or other legal custodian, whether of the whole blood or the half blood, or by adoption, of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard who died while on active duty for the United States. "Mental health care professional" means a person who provides mental health services and is licensed or otherwise authorized, pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes, to practice a health care profession that is regulated by one of the following: the State Board of Medical Examiners; the State Board of Psychological Examiners; the State Board of Social Work Examiners; the State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners; the Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee; the Professional Counselor Examiners Committee; or the Certified Psychoanalysts Advisory Committee. L.2025, c.139, s.59.

N.J. Stat. § 38A:25-3 Gold Star Family Counseling Program.

38A:25-3. There is established in the Department of Veterans Affairs the "Gold Star Family Counseling Program." The purpose of this program is to link mental health care professionals with Gold Star family members to facilitate the provision of mental health counseling free of charge to Gold Star family members. The Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall create and implement the "Gold Star Family Counseling Program" as follows: a. The department shall recruit mental health care professionals to donate professional counseling hours to provide mental health counseling to Gold Star family members. The department may coordinate the recruitment efforts with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. b. The department shall coordinate with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs to maintain a list of mental health care professionals who are available to provide professional mental health counseling hours to Gold Star family members. c. The department shall maintain and distribute the list of available mental health care professionals on a Statewide basis and shall distribute the list of available mental health care professionals to each county veteran service office for the distribution thereof. d. The department shall create a system for monitoring and verifying the donated hours to facilitate the tax credit provided to mental health care professionals pursuant to section 6 of P.L.2017, c.174 (C.54A:4-16). e. The department shall provide documentation annually to the mental health care professional for submission to the Department of the Treasury to verify the amount of tax credit the mental health care professional is eligible to request annually pursuant to section 6 of P.L.2017, c.174 (C.54A:4-16). The amount of annual tax credit shall be determined by the department as the sum of the hours of donated counseling provided to the Gold Star family member multiplied by the documented compensation rate applied to these hours. To determine the compensation rate, the department shall use the calendar year TRICARE rate for the service provided in the geographic location in which the service is provided. The department shall limit the cumulative hours which are authorized for the annual tax credit to a minimum of 20 hours and a maximum of 40 hours per year, per professional. f. All mental health care professionals volunteering for the "Gold Star Family Counseling Program" established pursuant to this section shall be immune from civil liability as provided in P.L.1991, c.270 (C.2A:62A-16 et seq.). g. The department may apply for and accept on behalf of the State any grants from the federal government or any agency thereof, or from any foundation, corporation, association, or individual, except for education grants or federal funds for education grants, and may comply with the terms, conditions, and limitations thereof, to develop and implement the "Gold Star Family Counseling Program" established pursuant to this section. Any money so received may be expended by the department, subject to any limitations imposed in such grants, upon warrant of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting of the Department of the Treasury. L.2025, c.139, s.60.

N.J. Stat. § 38A:25-4 Gold Star Family license plate, driver's license, identification card holder list.

38A:25-4. a. The department shall maintain a list of each person possessing a Gold Star Family license plate, issued pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2011, c.17 (C.39:3-27.142), and each person holding a driver's license or identification card with a Gold Star Family designation, issued pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2013, c.165 (C.39:3-10f6) or section 2 of P.L.1980, c.47 (C.39:3-29.3), respectively. The department shall distribute the list to the appropriate representative of a State veteran service entity in each county. b. It shall be unlawful for any person to: (1) have in the person's possession any canceled, fictitious, fraudulently altered, or fraudulently obtained driver's license or identification card with a Gold Star Family designation; (2) lend a driver's license or identification card with a Gold Star Family designation to any other person or knowingly permit the use thereof by another; (3) display or represent a driver's license or identification card with a Gold Star Family designation not issued to the person as being the person's card; (4) permit any unlawful use of a driver's license or identification card with a Gold Star Family designation issued to the person; (5) photograph, photostat, duplicate, or in any way reproduce a driver's license or identification card with a Gold Star Family designation, or facsimile thereof, in such a manner that it could be mistaken for a valid driver's license or identification card with a Gold Star Family designation or to display or have in the person's possession any such photograph, photostat, duplicate, reproduction, or facsimile; or (6) alter a driver's license or identification card with a Gold Star Family designation in any manner. c. A person who violates any provision of subsection b. of this section shall be liable to a civil penalty of $1,000. The civil penalty shall be collected pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.), in a summary proceeding before the municipal court having jurisdiction. L.2025, c.139, s.61.

N.J. Stat. § 38A:25-5 Notification of service member passing, definitions.

38A:25-5. a. (1) Upon receipt of the notice from the United States Department of Defense of the death of a service member who resided in this State and whose surviving beneficiary resides in this State, the Department of Veterans Affairs shall notify, no later than ten working days, the appropriate county veterans' affairs office, or county designee, and the appropriate State veterans’ service office. The State office shall provide the surviving beneficiary of a deceased service member with a comprehensive packet containing information on all federal and State benefits for which the surviving beneficiary may be eligible. The department shall develop the packet and provide all State veterans service offices with a supply of packets for distribution. This section shall also apply when a deceased service member is not a resident of this State, but whose surviving beneficiary is a resident of this State, if that information is known. (2) Every county veterans' affairs office shall have a designated Gold Star family member liaison. The liaison may be a volunteer or a Gold Star family member. The liaison shall, in conjunction with the State veterans' service offices, assist Gold Star families to access the services they are entitled to by providing information on State benefits, Gold Star family organizations, and such other resources deemed necessary and beneficial to a Gold Star family member. b. For the purpose of this section: "Child" means the individual who is a son or daughter by birth or adoption. "Deceased service member" means any member of the Armed Forces of the United States, or a Reserve Component thereof, or a member of the National Guard who dies as a result of enemy action, accident, or disease while on federal active duty, including active duty for training. "Gold Star family member" means the spouse, domestic partner, partner in a civil union, parent, brother, sister, child, legal guardian, or other legal custodian, whether of the whole or half blood, or by adoption, of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard who died while on active duty for the United States. "Parent" means the individual who is a father or mother by birth or adoption. "Spouse" means the individual to whom the deceased service member was legally married at the time of the member's death. "Surviving beneficiary" means the spouse, child, or parent of a deceased service member who resides in this State. L.2025, c.139, s.62.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026