Veterans

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on enforcement mechanisms for local governmental entities.

Veterans Employment Preference Act

This bill requires local governmental entities in Tennessee to give hiring and promotion preferences to honorably discharged veterans who meet certain qualifications.

What This Bill Does

• Requires local government agencies to invite honorably discharged veterans to interview for jobs or promotions if they are qualified candidates.
• If a veteran's skills, abilities, competencies, and knowledge match those of another applicant equally, the veteran must be given preference for the position.
• Local governmental entities must provide an option on application forms for applicants to declare their veteran status.
• Requires local government agencies to report reasons within 30 days if they choose a non-veteran over a qualified veteran candidate.
• Extends similar requirements and preferences to spouses or surviving spouses of veterans under specific conditions.

Who It Names or Affects

• Veterans who have been honorably discharged from the U.S. military services.
• Local governmental entities in Tennessee, such as municipalities, counties, and other political subdivisions.
• Applicants for jobs or promotions at local government agencies.
• Spouses or surviving spouses of veterans under certain conditions.

Terms To Know

local governmental entity

A governing body, board, commission, committee, department, or law enforcement agency of a municipality, county, or other political subdivision in Tennessee.

honorably discharged veteran

A person who has been honorably separated from the U.S. military services such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, or Coast Guard.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill did not pass in its current session and is marked as 'Did Not Pass'.
• It does not specify how local governmental entities will enforce these requirements.
• The bill's provisions do not apply to federal laws or rules regarding the hiring of veterans.

Official Summary Text

When a local governmental entity extends invitations to interview candidates, whether for appointment or promotion, and the pool of candidates includes a person who has been honorably discharged from the army, navy, air force, marine corps, space force, o
r coast guard, or a member of the reserve components, who performs active federal service in the armed forces of the United States,
this bill requires
the local governmental entity
to
invite these persons to interview.
I
f a veteran is in the pool of candi
dates and meets the minimum qualifications for the position, and the skills, abilities, competencies, and knowledge of the veteran and another applicant being interviewed for the position are equal, preference must be given to the veteran for the position.
A
n application form used by a local governmental entity must include the option for the applicant to declare veteran status.

When a local governmental entity extends invitations to interview candidates, whether for appointment or promotion,
this bill requires
the local governmental entity
to
invite the spouse or surviving spouse of a veteran to interview, if the spouse or surviving spouse is a qualified voter in this state or has been a resident of this state for two years preceding such person's application, and one of the two following cir
cumstances exists:



As a result of such military service, the veteran suffered a 100% service-connected disability or is permanently and totally disabled
.


T
he veteran died in the line of duty during such military service and
t
he surviving spouse has not remarried since the death of the veteran.

This bill requires a
local governmental entity that passes over an eligible veteran and selects an eligible nonveteran
to
file with the commissioner of veterans services, within 30 days, the reasons for so doing, which reasons will become a part of the veteran's record but will not be made available to anyone other than the veteran.

STATE EMPLOYMENT

Present law places the same requirements as described above concerning employment opportunities with the state. This bill adds that an
application form used by an appointing authority
pursuant to such present law
must include the option for the applicant to declare veteran status.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 2397
By Reneau

SENATE BILL 2428
By Crowe
SB2428
012147
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7,
Chapter 51; Title 8, Chapter 30, Part 3 and Title
58, Chapter 2, relative to veterans.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 51, is amended by adding
the following as a new part:
7-51-2801.
As used in this part, "local governmental entity" means a governing body, board,
commission, committee, department, or law enforcement agency of a municipality,
county, or other political subdivision of this state.
7-51-2802.
(a) When a local governmental entity extends invitations to interview candidates,
whether for appointment or promotion, and the pool of candidates includes a person who
has been honorably discharged from the army, navy, air force, marine corps, space
force, or coast guard, or a member of the reserve components, as defined in 10 U.S.C. §
10101, who performs active federal service in the armed forces of the United States, the
local governmental entity shall invite these persons to interview.
(b) If a veteran is in the pool of candidates and meets the minimum qualifications
for the position, and the skills, abilities, competencies, and knowledge of the veteran and
another applicant being interviewed for the position are equal, preference must be given
to the veteran for the position.
(c) When a local governmental entity extends invitations to interview candidates,
whether for appointment or promotion, the local governmental entity shall invite the

- 2 - 012147

spouse or surviving spouse of a veteran to interview, if the spouse or surviving spouse is
a qualified voter in this state or has been a resident of this state for two (2) years
preceding such person's application, and one (1) of the two (2) following circumstances
exists:
(1) As a result of such military service, the veteran suffered a one
hundred percent (100%) service-connected disability or is permanently and
totally disabled; or
(2)
(A) The veteran died in the line of duty during such military
service; and
(B) The surviving spouse has not remarried since the death of the
veteran.
(d) A local governmental entity that passes over an eligible veteran and selects
an eligible nonveteran shall file with the commissioner of veterans services, within thirty
(30) days, the reasons for so doing, which reasons will become a part of the veteran's
record, but will not be made available to anyone other than the veteran.
(e) An application form used by a local governmental entity must include the
option for the applicant to declare veteran status.
(f) This section is in addition to, and does not supersede, any federal laws or
rules regarding the hiring of veterans.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-30-307, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(e) An application form used by an appointing authority must include the option
for the applicant to declare veteran status.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.