HOUSE BILL No. 5418

 

March 20, 2014, Introduced by Reps. Knezek, Graves, Santana, Darany, Faris, Hobbs, MacMaster, Brunner, Smiley and Schmidt and referred to the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs.

 

     A bill to authorize private employers to adopt and apply a

 

veteran's preference employment policy; to create a registry of

 

private employers who have adopted a veteran's preference

 

employment policy; and to provide for the powers and duties of

 

certain state departments and agencies.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1. (1) This act shall be known and may be cited as the

 

"private employer's veterans' preference policy act".

 

     (2) As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Private employer" means a sole proprietor, corporation,

 

partnership, limited liability company, or other private entity

 

with 1 or more employees.

 

     (b) "Veteran" means an individual who meets 1 or more of the

 

following:

 


     (i) Has served on active duty with the armed forces of the

 

United States for a period of more than 180 days and was discharged

 

or released from active duty with other than a dishonorable

 

discharge.

 

     (ii) Was discharged or released from active duty with the armed

 

forces of the United States because of a service-connected

 

disability.

 

     (iii) Was discharged or released from duty with other than a

 

dishonorable discharge from service as a member of a reserve

 

component of the armed forces of the United States under an order

 

to active duty, excluding active duty for training.

 

     (c) "Veterans' preference employment policy" means a private

 

employer's voluntary preference for hiring, promoting, or retaining

 

a veteran over another equally qualified applicant or employee.

 

     Sec. 2. (1) A private employer may adopt and apply a voluntary

 

veterans' preference employment policy.

 

     (2) A veterans' preference employment policy shall be in

 

writing and shall be applied uniformly to employment decisions

 

regarding the hiring or promotion of veterans or the retention of

 

veterans during a reduction in the workforce.

 

     Sec. 3. (1) The department of licensing and regulatory affairs

 

shall maintain a registry of private employers in this state that

 

have notified the department that they have adopted a voluntary

 

veterans' preference employment policy.

 

     (2) The department of military and veterans affairs and the

 

department of licensing and regulatory affairs shall assist a

 

private employer that has adopted a voluntary veterans' preference

 


employment policy in determining whether an applicant or employee

 

is a veteran.