Public Administration
Gov. Murphy Signs New Law Establishing Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Military Affairs – On September 11th, Governor Phil Murphy signed a law creating a standalone, cabinet-level New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs. Previously, veterans’ services, including housing, health care, and benefits, were handled under a combined department, Military & Veterans Affairs, which also oversaw the National Guard. The change comes in part after state‐run veterans homes faced hundreds of deaths during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Lawsuits followed, as well as investigations by both state and federal authorities, which found that care in those homes was severely lacking. The existing Department of Military and Veterans Affairs will be split into two departments, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Military Affairs. Governor Murphy has announced that he plans to nominate Vincent Solomeno to be the commissioner of the new Veterans Affairs department. This law will go into effect in 120 days.
New Legislative Proposal to Classify Politically Motivated Violent Acts as Hate Crimes Receives Bipartisan Support – On September 15th, two senators have agreed to co-sponsor a new legislative proposal which could introduce heightened penalties and mandatory minimums for violence motivated by political animus. Senator Doug Steinhardt (R-Warren County) and Senator Brian Stack (D-Hudson) will be sponsoring this yet-to-be formally introduced legislation. Lawmakers can introduce bills when the Legislature is called for a quorum, but the Legislature is expected to stay in recess until after the 2025 Assembly and gubernatorial elections.
Health
NJ Representatives Seek to Extend Obamacare Health Insurance Subsidies – On September 11th, Representatives Jeff Van Drew (R-7th) and Tom Kean Jr. (R-2nd) co-sponsored a bill in Congress to extend federal tax subsidies that support the health insurance markets created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), often informally called Obamacare. Without this legislation, the subsidies are set to expire at the end of 2025, which would trigger an average 15.9% increase in health insurance costs for New Jerseyans enrolled in the ACA. About 513,000 people in New Jersey are enrolled in the state-run health insurance marketplace, and roughly 454,000 are expected to be impacted by higher cuts due to federal budget cuts from the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed in July. Both Van Drew and Kean voted for the bill.
NJ Makes COVID-19 Vaccines Widely Available Amid Trump Restrictions – On September 10th, the New Jersey Department of Health issued a new directive which allows anyone aged six months or older to receive the updated 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine. This is in addition to a separate order which authorizes pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and pharmacy technicians to administer the vaccine without a prescription to people three years old and above. Children under 3 will need to go through a pediatrician or another authorized medical provider. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently moved to limit vaccine eligibility for the latest COVID vaccine to only those aged 65 or older or people with high-risk health conditions. These restrictions have led to confusion among healthcare providers, pharmacies, and the public.