NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Hiring Preferences for Veterans – House Bill 165/Senate Bill 209 (Sen. Mark Green, R-Clarksville) passed the Senate and House of Representatives and was sent to the Governor for his signature this month.
The proposal would enable private employers to create hiring preferences for veterans, their spouses, and surviving spouses of deceased veterans without running afoul of provisions in the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibiting hiring discrimination among other areas. This same historic federal law allows states to use a carve-out for veterans and their spouses to shield employers from legal challenges.
In 2015, the same bill was introduced but failed to make it past the first round of subcommittee hearings.
While the language of the bill this year mirrored the 2015 version, there were some subtle changes in the strategy used. “The weapons we used were mighty. We simply harnessed the power of our veterans to win the hearts and minds of the House and Senate members. We also enlisted the U.S. Department of Defense to call on members to ensure them the proposed bill was the right thing to do,” Rep. Joe Pitts said.
Unemployment and under-employment among veterans and their families are at high rates, and the steady stream of veterans transitioning out of the military and into the workforce remains robust.
“I am grateful for our nation’s veterans and their families everyday but am especially thankful and indebted for their continuing service to this state and our nation,” Pitts said. “And as I often say, veterans never stop serving.”
This legislation was brought to local politicians by the U.S. Department of Defense.