HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 2545

         As Reported by House Committee On:       
State Government Operations & Accountability

Title: An act relating to veterans' scoring criteria in examinations.

Brief Description: Revising veterans' scoring criteria in examinations.

Sponsors: Representatives Haigh, Nixon, Conway, Morrell, Bailey, McCoy, Green, Springer, McCune, Kilmer and P. Sullivan.

Brief History:

State Government Operations & Accountability: 1/18/06, 1/20/06 [DPS].

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill
  • Clarifies that agencies or private companies under contract to administer competitive examinations for public employment are included in the entities that must give a scoring criteria status, or preference, to all veterans who sit for competitive examinations.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ACCOUNTABILITY

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 8 members: Representatives Haigh, Chair; Green, Vice Chair; Clements, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Hunt, McDermott, Miloscia, Schindler and Sump.

Staff: Kathryn Leathers (786-7114).

Background:

State law provides that honorably discharged veterans receive preference in public employment. For some public employment positions, applicants must take a competitive examination. In those cases, preference is given to veterans by adding a certain percentage to the passing mark, grade, or rating of an examination. When scoring competitive exams, the state, including all of its political subdivisions and municipal corporations, must give the scoring criteria status (preference), as provided for in statute, to qualified veterans.

Summary of Substitute Bill:

The language identifying the entities that are required to give eligible veterans the statutory scoring preference when scoring civil service competitive examinations is modified to state that all agencies and private contractors that administer such examinations must give veterans the statutory scoring preference.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

The language is further clarified to state that either the state or private contractors must apply the scoring preference to eligible veterans.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: Contractors who administer the civil service examinations are neglecting to give the veterans their preference points. This is a house-keeping bill and doesn't cost any money. The bill just brings private contractors in line with what most of the other agencies are already doing. This bill does not change who is eligible for the preference points.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: Gary "Frosty" Husley, Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.