Lassa bills to help vets get licenses advance on unanimous votes in Senate, committee
Madison — A bill that waives fees for professional and occupational licenses issued to veterans, authored by State Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) and Senator Pam Galloway (R-Wausau), passed the State Senate unanimously today.
A second provision to allow veterans to apply their military and training experience to satisfy the training requirements for various professional and occupational licenses also passed the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee unanimously. That bill was authored by Senator Lassa along with Senator Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls).
“Unemployment among newly-returned veterans is at 13.1 %, and even higher for vets under age 24,” Lassa said. “For disabled vets, unemployment is around 50 percent. We need to do better for those who volunteer to go into harm’s way to serve our country. Obtaining a professional license can be a major obstacle to getting a job or starting a business. These bills will help remove that obstacle for veterans, and make Wisconsin an even more veteran-friendly state.”
Senate Bill 338 waives the fees for veterans to obtain a state license for such professions as nurse, surveyor, barber and others. In order to be qualified for this waiver, the veteran has to be a Wisconsin resident and have been honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces. The fee waiver applies only to professional or occupational licenses that are issued to individuals and not to licenses issued to businesses or other entities. The bill now goes to the Assembly for approval.
Veterans will be able to use their military training and experience to apply for state-issued professional licenses to become emergency medical technicians, nurse aides, electricians and similar professions, under Senate Bill 357. Veterans will have to demonstrate that the training they received in the military is substantially equivalent to the requirements for obtaining the license. “A vet who’s trained and experienced at saving lives under combat conditions, for example, should have that experience count toward being an EMT in civilian life,” Lassa said.
“These measures will demonstrate our commitment to addressing the unemployment crisis among returning veterans at a time at which many more vets will be returning from conflicts overseas,” Lassa said. “Given the sacrifices they’ve made for us, it’s the least we can do to help them reintegrate into civilian life. I urge the Assembly to take quick action on SB 338, and I hope that SB 375 will be scheduled for a vote by the full Senate when we reconvene next week.”