HEA 1312 Summary

• Defines "veteran" to include individuals who previously served on active duty in any branch of the U.S. armed forces, reserves, national guard, or Indiana National Guard and received an honorable discharge, or who are currently serving in these forces.

• Expands veteran-owned small business (VOSB) eligibility to include both federally-certified veteran-owned businesses and Indiana-certified veteran-owned businesses owned and operated by veterans as defined in the statute.

• Requires veteran business owners to be Indiana residents for at least one year before making an offer, or in the case of corporations, have at least 51% of stock owned by qualifying veterans who meet the residency requirement.

• Establishes a 3% state contracting goal for Indiana veteran-owned small businesses, with the Indiana Department of Administration required to adopt procurement rules and policies to achieve this target.

• Requires the Indiana Department of Administration to submit annual reports by November 1 (beginning in 2014) to the governor, Department of Veterans' Affairs, and legislative committees detailing progress toward the 3% goal and actions to meet it.

• Designates DD 214 forms, NGB-22 forms, and military service verification documents as confidential information in veteran certification applications.

• All provisions effective July 1, 2016.