rap # 43 03/14/12
FREEHOLDERS SUPPORT VETERANS DRIVER’S LICENSE INITIATIVE
A SIMPLE addition to New Jersey driver’s licenses would make it easier for veterans to file claims and even qualify for
discounts from local stores.
The Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders is supporting state legislation that would allow a resident’s veteran’s status
to be included on their driver’s license.
"On behalf of the 68,000 veterans that call Ocean County home, we are pleased to support this legislation that will benefit
all of our men and women who have worn the uniform of the United State Armed Forces," said Freeholder Director Gerry P. Little.
Little said the simple designation on the license would mean vets would no longer have to carry additional documents proving
discharge status.
"Instead of fumbling around for different papers, a veteran would only have to produce their driver’s license," he said.
The bill, A691, is sponsored by Assemblyman Sean Kean, R-Ocean.
Little and Freeholder Deputy Director John C. Bartlett Jr. sent a letter to Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski, D-Middlesex,
chairman of the Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee asking that the bill be heard and then
released to the full Assembly for a vote.
"As more and more of our brave young men and women return from overseas, they need a quick and convenient way to prove that
they have served their nation," Little and Bartlett said in the letter. "Our older World War II, Korean and Vietnam veterans would
also lose the burden of always carrying additional identification."
The Freeholders said the driver’s license notation, which would be strictly optional, would also help veterans take
advantage of discounts offered by many retailers.
Several states, including Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Tennessee, Texas and Utah already include veteran’s designations on driver’s licenses.
