05/06/2025 10:15 AM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

             HJR 20-HIRING OF APPRENTICES/VETERANS                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
10:40:23 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR EISCHEID  announced that the  next order of  business would                                                               
be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO.  20, "Encouraging the United States                                                               
Congress to  establish hiring goals  for apprentices  and veteran                                                               
apprentices."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
10:40:56 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DAVID  NELSON, Alaska State Legislature,  as prime                                                               
sponsor, presented  HJR 20 to  the committee. He  paraphrased the                                                               
sponsor statement to  HJR 20 [included in  the committee packet],                                                               
which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
          House Joint Resolution 20  urges the United States                                                                    
     Congress to establish hiring  goals for apprentices and                                                                    
     veteran  apprentices  for  U.S. Department  of  Defense                                                                    
     construction  projects.  United   States  veterans  and                                                                    
     their families  face immeasurable risks  and sacrifices                                                                    
     during their service to our country.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Members of  our armed forces  are put through  the most                                                                    
     rigorous training  in the world. This  ensures that all                                                                    
     individuals  that  pass  through   it  come  out  well-                                                                    
     educated, highly trained,  and strongly motivated. They                                                                    
     learn  discipline and  a number  of  skills which  make                                                                    
     them highly valuable in the workforce.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
      In 2024, 65% of the unemployed veterans were age 18-                                                                      
     54, meaning  that the  majority of  unemployed veterans                                                                    
     are  in their  prime  working age.  Veterans face  many                                                                    
     challenges when transitioning  back into civilian life.                                                                    
     Some  of  these  challenges  can   be  made  easier  by                                                                    
     requiring  hiring  goals   for  certain  Department  of                                                                    
     Defense  projects.  HJR  20 would  encourage  the  U.S.                                                                    
     Congress  to  establish  a  goal   for  the  hiring  of                                                                    
     veterans  who participate  in qualified  apprenticeship                                                                    
     or postsecondary programs. This  goal should be no less                                                                    
     than 10 percent of the  total workforce employed in the                                                                    
     performance of the project.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Department  of Defense  construction  projects offer  a                                                                    
     prime  opportunity   for  veterans  to   further  their                                                                    
     careers  while   providing  the  DOD   with  qualified,                                                                    
     mature,  and motivated  employees.  It is  our duty  to                                                                    
     take  care of  those  who stood  ready  to defend  this                                                                    
     country.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
10:42:49 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked how the bill sponsor obtained the                                                                  
10% number with regards to veteran unemployment.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIBE NELSON answered that the 10% figure in the                                                                       
proposed legislation represented a goal, not a requirement that                                                                 
the state would have to meet.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
10:44:05 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD asked if the goal of HJR 20 was to bring                                                                  
the veteran unemployment rate up from 4.6%                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON explained  that HJR 20 would  be urging the                                                               
United  States  Congress  to establish  the  10%  goal  explained                                                               
earlier.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:46:06 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR EISCHEID  asked if there  is any information  regarding the                                                               
ratio of journeymen-apprenticeship ratios.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
10:47:03 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS answered  that apprenticeship to journeymen                                                               
ratios are uniform and one-to-one across the entire country.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:47:40 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  asked Representative  Nelson how  he best                                                               
saw  the United  States  Congress solving  the  issue of  veteran                                                               
unemployment.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
10:48:59 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HALL  asked if  there  are  any specific  numbers                                                               
related to the unemployment rates of Alaskan veterans.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  NELSON  replied  that  he would  follow  up  with                                                               
information after the committee meeting.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:51:57 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
KYLE  KAISER,  President  & Founder,  Viper  Transmissions,  gave                                                               
invited  testimony on  HJR 20.  He  spoke to  the importance  and                                                               
positive impact  that a construction  apprenticeship had  on both                                                               
his and  other servicemembers' lives  after exiting  the military                                                               
and encouraged the committee's support of HJR 20.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
10:57:36 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  commented that  he is proud  to be  a co-                                                               
sponsor of HJR 20.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
[HJR 20 was held over].