Brief Description: Establishing an internship program for wounded combat veterans.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Hobbs, Hewitt, Haugen, Kastama, Fairley, Shin, Kline, Clements, Kohl-Welles, Keiser, Tom, Brandland, Murray, Roach, Spanel, Kauffman, Rockefeller, Regala, Jacobsen, McAuliffe, Berkey, Carrell, Sheldon, Kilmer, Rasmussen, Holmquist and Honeyford).

Senate Committee on Transportation
House Committee on Transportation

Background: Veterans returning from combat may face challenges finding employment and transitioning military skills into civilian careers. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has recently implemented a program to assist with this transition. VDOT's Wounded Veteran Internship Program is designed to provide veterans with full-time temporary positions that match their military skills, or teach them new skills. VDOT's program is able to take advantage of the similarity between transportation jobs that require skills common to military personnel, such as mapping, planning, procurement, and quality control. Positions are for six months to two years and may result in permanent placement with VDOT or other businesses that work with VDOT.

Summary: The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) must establish an internship program for returning wounded combat veterans. Positions may include, but are not limited to, engineering, construction trades, logistics, and project planning. The emphasis of the program should be to assist veterans who served in southern or central Asia (Operation Enduring Freedom) and the Persian Gulf (Operation Iraqi Freedom). WSDOT may adopt rules to implement this program.

Placement of veterans as apprentices under existing apprenticeship programs is encouraged.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      49   0
House      97   0

Effective:   July 22, 2007