Legislature(2015 - 2016)BUTROVICH 205
04/17/2015 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB6 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 6 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 6-PRIV EMPLOYER VOLUNTARY VET PREFERENCE
9:04:52 AM
CHAIR STOLTZE announced that the only order of business would be
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 6(MLV), "An Act relating to a voluntary
preference for veterans by private employers."
9:05:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS TUCK, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor of
HB 6, explained that the bill would allow private employers to
grant an employment preference to veterans. He offered his
understanding that federal law provides that states may allow
such a preference to be granted by private employers as long as
they are not being mandated to grant it, and that currently 17
states allow private employers to grant such a preference.
Alaska has done a lot for veterans, and HB 6 would constitute an
additional step in that direction.
9:08:25 AM
MARK SAN SOUCI, Northwest Regional Liaison, Military Community
and Family Policy, Readiness and Force Management, United States
Department of Defense (DOD), asked the committee to move HB 6
through the process. He said the DOD feels that private
employers are the ones best suited to determine which skill sets
are needed in the positions they are hiring for, and offered his
belief that HB 6 - providing private employers with the option
of granting an employment preference to veterans - would help
private employers make such determinations. He noted that the
National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has addressed
the issue of employment preferences for veterans, and advocates
- via its military and veterans' affairs task force - for
providing for such in state law. To correct an earlier
statement, he indicated that more than 17 states now allow
private employers to grant an employment preference to veterans.
He offered his understanding that information from the United
States Department of Labor's (DOL's) Bureau of Labor Statistics
indicates that the unemployment rate for veterans compared to
other populations is higher; predicted that many more veterans
are going to be moving to Alaska in the foreseeable future; and
referenced statistics he said came from the DOD's Defense
Manpower Data Center to illustrate the latter point.
9:11:15 AM
RUSSELL POUNDS - remarking that he is a small business owner and
noting that both his father and brother are veterans and that
he's met a lot of military personnel from Joint Base Elmendorf-
Richardson (JBER) that have expressed interest in staying in
Alaska - relayed his appreciation of HB 6 and what he called the
opportunity to hire veterans.
9:13:12 AM
RUSSELL BALL, remarking that he is a small business owner, said
he's had many veterans work for him and he finds them to be
outstanding employees in the majority of cases. He expressed
concern about the unemployment rate of veterans, shared his
belief that passage of HB 6 would encourage veterans to apply
for private-sector jobs, and indicated that he would be choosing
to grant an employment preference to veterans.
CHAIR STOLTZE, after ascertaining that no one else wished to
testify, closed public testimony on HB 6.
9:16:01 AM
SENATOR COGHILL moved to report CSHB 6(MLV) from committee with
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There
being no objection, CSHB 6(MLV) moved from the Senate State
Affairs Standing Committee.