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 family 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.2017, c.174, s.1.