Senate Enrolled Act 298 Summary

• Creates a new chapter in Indiana Code establishing voluntary veterans' preference employment policies for private employers effective July 1, 2015.

• Defines "veteran" as an individual who served in the U.S. armed forces, reserves, Indiana Army National Guard, or Indiana Air National Guard and was released from active duty under conditions other than dishonorable.

• Allows private employers to adopt written veterans' preference policies that give hiring, promotion, or retention preference to veterans over other qualified applicants, provided the policy is applied uniformly.

• Permits employers to require veterans to submit a Department of Defense Report of Separation form (DD 214) to be eligible for the preference.

• Prohibits veterans' preference policies from violating equal employment opportunity laws, applying to existing collective bargaining agreements, or interfering with the National Labor Relations Act or Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act.