Veteran job preference bill amended, advanced

Senators gave first-round approval Jan. 24 to a bill that would update laws pertaining to preferences for veterans seeking employment.

LB588, introduced by Syracuse Sen. Dan Watermeier, would create the Veterans Preference Act. A Government, Military and Veterans Affairs amendment, adopted 37-0, replaced the bill.

Watermeier said the amended bill reflects language currently in use by the state Department of Labor and is meant to modernize Nebraska’s long-standing policy of offering employment preference to veterans.

“The current program was put in place more than 40 years ago,” he said.

Lincoln Sen. Bill Avery supported the bill, saying it would compliment recent efforts by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce to recruit military veterans to the state.

As amended, LB588 would require that 5 percent be added to all parts of an examination or numerical scoring if a veteran receives a passing score and makes a claim for the preference on the application.

If no examination or numerical scoring is used, preference would be given to a qualifying veteran if two or more equally qualified candidates were being considered for a position.

Notices of all positions of employment available for veterans preference would be required to state that the position is subject to the preference. A veteran desiring to use the preference would be required to provide the hiring authority with a copy of his or her Defense Department Form 214.

The bill also would allow the spouse of a veteran who has a 100 percent permanent disability to claim the preference. The spouse would be required to provide a copy of the veteran’s DD214 form, disability verification and proof of marriage.

A Watermeier amendment, adopted 40-0, delayed the bill’s operative date to Jan. 1, 2015.

The bill was advanced to select file on a 37-0 vote.