HF1318 Summary

• Establishes veterans preference in hiring for vacant positions in the Minnesota Legislature and state courts, with disabled veterans ranked ahead of nondisabled veterans, who are ranked ahead of nonveterans.

• Defines "disabled veteran" as a veteran with a compensable service-connected disability adjudicated by the U.S. Veterans Administration or armed forces retirement board, and "recently separated veteran" as one discharged honorably after September 11, 2001.

• Requires top three recently separated veterans to be granted interviews for legislative positions and top five recently separated veterans to be granted interviews for state court positions.

• Mandates hiring bodies notify applicants of the option to claim veterans preference when posting positions, and provide written explanations to rejected applicants who were interviewed or in the finalist pool.

• Allows surviving spouses of deceased veterans and spouses of disabled veterans unable to qualify due to disability to use the veterans preference.