The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee last week approved legislation that would more strictly enforce hiring preferences for veterans in the federal government.
The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1997 (S. 1021), sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., would provide veterans with new procedural tools to defend their employment rights.
"This bill is not about promising veterans a hiring preference. That has been the law of the land for more than half a century," Hagel said at a hearing in March. "This bill is about making that promise meaningful."
The bill would establish a new appeals system for veterans who believe their rights have been violated. Under current law, a veteran who applies for a federal job, but is not hired, can complain only to the Labor Department, not to the Merit Systems Protection Board or to the courts.
Under Hagel's bill, a veteran would still appeal first to the Labor Department. However, if the department fails to resolve the complaint within 60 days, the veteran could appeal to the MSPB. If the MSPB didn't resolve the matter within 120 days, the veteran could take his or her complaint to United States District Court.
The legislation would make violating veterans preference law an officially prohibited personnel practice.
The Veteran's Employment Opportunities Act also would extend the veteran's preference law to jobs in the judicial and legislative branches of government.
The House passed its version of the bill (H.R. 240) in April 1997. The House bill contained the same provisions as the Senate version, but the House bill also included language that would strengthen veterans preference in reductions-in-force.
The Senate is expected to take up the legislation after it returns from its August recess.
From 1993 to 1997, veterans with preference have represented about 21 percent of all new career appointments to federal service.
"This bill is not about statistics, and it's not about getting 'enough' veterans in the federal workforce," Hagel said. "It's about enforcing the promise America has made to individuals who committed years of their lives to serving our country in uniform."
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