House Study Bill 9 SENATE/HOUSE FILE BY (PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BILL) Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act concerning preferential hiring treatment by government for 2 veterans. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1352DP 83 5 ec/nh/5 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 35C.1, subsection 1, Code 2009, is 1 2 amended to read as follows: 1 3 1. In every public department and upon all public works in 1 4 the state, and of the counties, cities, and school 1 5 corporations of the state, veteransas defined in section 35.11 6 who are citizens and residents ofthis statethe United States 1 7 are entitled to preference in appointment and employment over 1 8 other applicants of no greater qualifications. The preference 1 9 in appointment and employment for employees of cities under a 1 10 municipal civil service is the same as provided in section 1 11 400.10. For purposes of this section, "veteran" means as 1 12 defined in section 35.1 except that the requirement that the 1 13 person be a resident of this state shall not apply. 1 14 Sec. 2. Section 400.10, Code 2009, is amended to read as 1 15 follows: 1 16 400.10 PREFERENCES. 1 17 In all examinations and appointments under this chapter, 1 18 other than promotions and appointments of chief of the police 1 19 department and chief of the fire department, veteransas 1 20 defined in section 35.1,who are citizens and residents of 1 21this statethe United States, shall have five percentage 1 22 points added to the veteran's grade or score attained in 1 23 qualifying examinations for appointment to positions and five 1 24 additional percentage points added to the grade or score if 1 25 the veteran has a service=connected disability or is receiving 1 26 compensation, disability benefits or pension under laws 1 27 administered by the veterans administration. An honorably 1 28 discharged veteran who has been awarded the Purple Heartfor 1 29 disabilitiesincurred in action shall be considered to have a 1 30 service=connected disability. However, the percentage points 1 31 shall be given only upon passing the exam and shall not be the 1 32 determining factor in passing. Veteran's preference 1 33 percentage points shall be applied once to the final scores 1 34 used to rank applicants for selection for an interview. For 1 35 purposes of this section, "veteran" means as defined in 2 1 section 35.1 except that the requirement that the person be a 2 2 resident of this state shall not apply. 2 3 EXPLANATION 2 4 This bill removes the requirement that a person be a 2 5 citizen and resident of Iowa in order to receive a veterans 2 6 preference in appointment or employment for public employment, 2 7 including municipal civil service employment under Code 2 8 chapter 400. 2 9 For purposes of municipal civil service employment, the 2 10 bill also provides that the veteran's preference points are 2 11 percentage points and that the percentage points shall be 2 12 applied once to the final scores used to rank applicants for 2 13 selection for an interview. In addition, the bill strikes the 2 14 phrase "for disabilities" as a qualifier as to whether a 2 15 person awarded a Purple Heart shall be considered to have a 2 16 disability for purposes of determining veterans preference. 2 17 LSB 1352DP 83 2 18 ec/nh/5.2