By Assemblywoman Aura Dunn's Office
Assemblywoman Aura Dunn’s constituent was denied a disabled veteran property tax deduction for failing to file sooner, so the lawmaker introduced a measure this fall making sure that every veteran visiting a Motor Vehicle Commission location would drive away with benefit information. The bill passed a Senate committee on Monday and is awaiting a hearing in the Assembly Transportation Committee.
“While my staff and I are tirelessly working through the government red tape to get our resident the disabled veteran property tax refund he deserves from the state, I couldn’t help but think that the problem all started because of communication, or lack of it, at the one agency every adult must visit, the MVC,” Dunn (R-Morris) said. “This bill is about ensuring a veteran is never denied another benefit because of a missed deadline or lack of awareness.”
The bill (A4733/S3595) establishes what Dunn calls the “Welcome Home Veterans Act,” which will eventually include other legislation to make New Jersey a more military-friendly place to live.
The MVC already verifies veterans’ information when including a veteran designation on ID, so it makes sense to have the agency provide information on state and federal veteran benefits during interactions, says Dunn.
“Taking the burden off veterans to navigate a web of bureaucracy by providing benefit information at a required interaction with a state agency just makes sense,” said Dunn.
Under the bill, the MVC would provide hard copies of guides and booklets on veteran benefits when issuing a driver’s license, a probationary license, or an identification card, or renewing a driver’s license that includes the veteran designation. The information must also be available digitally on the commission’s website.
“There are income tax deductions, property tax deductions, grant programs for housing, employment and medical assistance, and so many more benefits veterans have earned in their selfless defense of this nation and state. Providing them with pertinent benefit information can mean the difference between staying and moving,” Dunn said. “By bridging gaps in communication, New Jersey can better serve its heroes who have come home.”
ABOUT ASSEMBLYWOMAN AURA K. DUNN
Aura Dunn was appointed to fill the Assembly seat vacated by now-Sen. Anthony Bucco in 2019, and a year later won the special election in the 25th Legislative District, breaking New Jersey’s history for the most votes in an (more than 64,000) Assembly race.
Assemblywoman Dunn serves on the Assembly Budget, Commerce and Economic Development, and Women and Children Committees and appointed to the Human Relations Council and the Women’s Re-entry Commission. She also is a founding member and current Co-Chair of the Legislative Disability Caucus. Dunn has become known as an effective legislator and problem-solver who always puts people over politics. She is a fierce defender of children and families and parental rights.
She joined the Assembly after a 25-year career in public service. She was the District Director for 12-term Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen from 2016 to 2019, a budget analyst on education policy for the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee from 1997 to 2000, and a policy advisor for the House Veterans Affairs Committee. She also represented America’s Public Television Stations, Sesame Street, and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood before Congress and the White House.
One of Assemblywoman Dunn’s proudest accomplishments from her time on Capitol Hill was her work on the Campus Crime Disclosure Act, better known as the Clery Act. The landmark legislation requires colleges and universities to issue on-campus crime statistics and security information.
Dunn currently serves as a board member of the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation. Dunn served on the boards of Morris Habitat for Humanity and Morris County Mental Health Addictions Services. She volunteers as a JBWS-certified domestic violence crisis response team member for local police departments. Since 2010, her family has hosted a New York City child each summer through the Fresh Air Fund program.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a master’s degree in public administration from George Washington University. Dunn also holds a certificate in Mediation.
She lives in Morris County with her husband and their three children.
Contact Information: AswDunn@njleg.org (973-206-1876)
Read full article on TAPinto.net
Paid for by EFO Aura Dunn for Assembly. PO Box 999 Edison NJ 08818
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