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October 17, 2002
CONGRESS PASSES LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS
- Rockefeller Says Bill Will Update Department of Labor's Job Placement and Training for Veterans -
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, announced today that legislation to improve employment assistance to veterans has passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and is now on its way to the President. The Jobs for Veterans Act updates the legislation passed after World War II that established hiring priorities for veterans in federal employment and gave them early notice of jobs in the private sector.
"As we ask the young men and women of this nation to prepare themselves to take up arms in defense of our country, we must be able to help them find productive careers upon their return as we did for the previous generations that defended our freedoms," Rockefeller said.
The legislation modifies the current law to provide better access to employment for veterans by:
Revising and improving the Department of Labor’s employment, training and placement services available to veterans through their state employment offices;
Providing priority of service to veterans and spouses of certain veterans in job training programs funded by the Department of Labor;
Giving states greater flexibility in how they provide employment, training and placement services to veterans by revising current funding formulas and removing restrictions on how they use the funding;
Removing the restriction that allowed only Vietnam veterans to participate in employment and job advancement opportunities within the federal government. This will allow for disabled veterans, veterans who served in a military operation and received a service medal, and newly retired veterans to participate in these opportunities;
Establishing both financial and non-financial incentives for state employees who provide quality employment, training and placement services to veterans;
Establishing the President’s National Hire Veterans Committee to inform employers about the advantages of hiring veterans.
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