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), were unanimously approved by the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee today.
“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, 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. 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.
The bill is supported by business groups such as BioForward, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Patriot Partners Fund, and Veteran Entrepreneurial Transfer.
“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 am glad the bills received unanimous bipartisan support by the committee, and I hope they will be scheduled for a vote by the full Senate when we reconvene next week.”