HB 125-MILITARY AND FAMILY EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCE                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:32:46 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR COSTELLO announced  the consideration of CS  FOR HOUSE BILL                                                               
NO.  125(L&C)  "An Act  relating  to  employment preferences  for                                                               
active  service  members,  veterans, and  spouses  and  dependent                                                               
children  of active  service members  and  veterans; relating  to                                                               
employment preferences for surviving  spouses of deceased service                                                               
members and veterans; and relating  to employment preferences for                                                               
disabled veterans and former prisoners of war."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
[This is the  second hearing. The bill was first  heard last year                                                               
and public testimony was closed.]                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  COSTELLO  asked  Representative   Nelson  to  refresh  the                                                               
committee's recall of HB 125.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:33:10 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  DAVID NELSON,  Alaska State  Legislature, Juneau,                                                               
Alaska,  sponsor of  HB 125,  stated  that the  bill extends  the                                                               
current  employment hiring  preference  to  military spouses  and                                                               
selected dependents.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COSTELLO  noted that  when the  bill was  heard previously,                                                               
his  aide testified  that, at  the minimum,  this would  allow an                                                               
interview. She asked if that was correct.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON answered yes.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:34:12 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GRAY-JACKSON asked  what  the term  "selected" means  in                                                               
this context.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  NELSON explained  that the  bill originally  gave                                                               
hiring  preference to  all  dependents and  the  House Labor  and                                                               
Commerce   Committee  amended   it  to   include  just   Goldstar                                                               
dependents. These  are family  members of  fallen members  of the                                                               
U.S. military.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  COSTELLO  found  no  further  questions  and  solicited  a                                                               
motion.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:35:03 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEVENS moved  to report HB 125,  work order 32-LS0602\B,                                                               
from  committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  attached                                                               
fiscal note(s).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:35:19 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR COSTELLO  found no objection  and CSHB 125(L&C)  moved from                                                               
the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.