Committee boosts Civil Air Patrol funding proposal to $275,000 to support hangars, SAR and cadet programs
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Summary
S896 was released as amended to increase the Civil Air Patrol appropriation from $100,000 to $275,000; Colonel Amy T. Mizey and Lt. Col. Zachary King described CAP’s search-and-rescue, aerospace education, and cadet programs and said 1,600+ NJ volunteers deliver services valued at about $9.3 million.
The Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee released S896 as amended to increase annual appropriations for a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) fund from $100,000 to $275,000.
Lieutenant Colonel Zachary King (National Headquarters Congressional Squadron) told the committee CAP’s more than 1,600 New Jersey volunteers provide missions whose volunteer-value has been assessed at roughly $9.3 million. Colonel Amy T. Mizey, commander of the New Jersey Wing of CAP, described the organization’s three core missions — emergency services (including search-and-rescue), aerospace education, and the cadet program — and explained some operational needs that federal funding does not cover (for example, hangaring aircraft and certain optional mission equipment).
Committee members noted that New Jersey is among a small number of states that had provided no direct funding to CAP and said the committee planned to correct that in the current session. Hearing discussion listed intended uses for the additional funding: hangars, ground search-and-rescue training/equipment, thermal imaging for aircraft, additional radios, medical evacuation litters, and expanded STEM and cyber programming for cadets.
A motion to release S896 as amended passed on a recorded roll call. The committee directed staff and sponsors to provide fact sheets and fiscal details as the bill moves to the budget and appropriations review.
