There is established by the department a program to assist an eligible family member of a veteran who is already in a New Jersey veterans' memorial home, or an eligible family member of a veteran who is about to enter such a home, in being appointed as guardian of the veteran. In the event that a family member of a veteran who is already in a New Jersey veterans' memorial home, or is about to enter such a home, is not willing or available to serve as guardian of that veteran, some other interested person closely associated with the veteran shall be eligible for assistance in being appointed as guardian under the program herein established. The assistance provided to a family member of a veteran or to some other interested and eligible person associated with a veteran shall be in the form of both technical and financial support.
The commissioner shall develop economic criteria for determining eligibility for financial assistance pursuant to the program established by this section.