Proposals expand hiring preferences for disabled vets, waive license fees
Madison — Bills that expand hiring preferences for disabled veterans and waive fees for professional and occupational licenses issued to vets, both authored by State Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) and Senator Pam Galloway (R-Wausau), received a public hearing before the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee today.
“Unemployment among veterans is substantially higher than among the general population,” 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, and these bills are a step in that direction.”
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. A qualified veteran may receive the fee waiver only if he or she has not previously received a fee waiver for any type of license. 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 cost of obtaining a professional license can be a major obstacle to getting a job or starting a business,” Lassa said. “This bill will remove that obstacle for veterans, and make Wisconsin an even more veteran-friendly state.”
Senate Bill 339 expands state agency hiring preferences for disabled veterans to all positions in the classified service of the state civil service system. Currently, agencies can only make non-competitive appointments for non-professional or entry-level positions. The disabled veteran who is considered for a non-competitive appointment must still be qualified to perform the job.
“Our disabled veterans come back from the service with all kinds of valuable skills, including advanced managerial and professional experience. If they qualify for professional positions or those above entry level, they should get the same hiring preference we currently give for lower-level positions,” 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 hope the committee will take quick action to pass these bills on to the full Senate for a vote.”