Veterans' Hiring Preference

The act creates a statutory basis to allow a private employer to give preference to a veteran of the armed forces or the National Guard and the spouse of a service member killed in the line of duty when hiring a new employee, as long as the veteran or the spouse is as qualified as other applicants for employment. The act allows a private employer's veterans' preference employment policy to also include the preferential hiring of a veteran who has been discharged from active duty within the last 5 years, a spouse of a veteran killed in the line of duty within 5 years after the death, and a veteran with a disability within 10 after the date of discharge. The act creates a rebuttable presumption that a private employer that adopts a program that gives preferences to veterans or their spouses is not committing a discriminatory or unfair labor practice.The act requires the office of economic development to begin the development of production materials to educate and encourage employers to hire veterans.$25,000 is appropriated to the office of economic development for allocation to the office of film, television, and media for the development of production materials.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)