2015 WISCONSIN ACT
386
An Act
to create
14.017 (6) and 230.042 of the statutes;
relating to:
establishing the Wisconsin Veterans Employment Initiative.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section
1
.
14.017 (6) of the statutes is created to read:
14.017
(6)
Council on veterans employment.
(a) There is created in the office of the governor a council on veterans employment consisting of all of the following:
1. The secretary of administration or his or her designee, who shall serve as chairperson of the council.
2. The administrator of the division of personnel management in the department of administration or his or her designee.
3. The secretary of veterans affairs or his or her designee.
4. The secretary of workforce development or his or her designee.
5. The president of the University of Wisconsin System or his or her designee.
(b) The council shall advise and assist the governor and state agencies with the recruitment and employment of veterans, including specifically veterans with a service-connected disability rating, so as to increase veteran employment in state government. To this end, the council shall do all of the following:
1. Identify program areas of state government in which the employment of veterans can be increased.
2. Identify state agency positions that have duties especially suitable to the skills and work experiences of veterans.
3. Ensure that state agencies develop training programs to assist veterans in acquiring the skills necessary to hold state agency positions.
4. Ensure that state agencies develop training and counseling programs for veterans to assist in their transition from military service to state government employment.
5. Ensure that the division of personnel management in the department of administration develops training programs for human resources staff to increase the recruitment and employment of veterans in state agencies.
6. Prepare a model strategy for state agencies to increase the employment of qualified veterans, which includes recommendations to streamline the process of employing qualified veterans with a service-connected disability rating.
7. Promote state government employment as a viable post-military career opportunity for veterans.
8. Identify and promote to state agencies the valuable and transferrable skills of veterans.
(c) 1. The department of workforce development shall provide staff support to the council.
2. The department of workforce development shall make the determinations under s. 230.042 (3) (a) and (4) (a) and shall assist the council in making its determinations under s. 230.042 (3) (b) and (4) (b).
3. The council may establish separate goals that are applicable to a state agency for the hiring of qualified veterans or veterans with a service-connected disability rating that are in lieu of the goals specified under s. 230.042 (3) and (4).
(d) Annually, on or before September 1, the secretary of administration shall submit a report to the governor on the activities of the council in assisting state agencies with the recruitment and employment of veterans. The report shall include current information on the number of veterans holding permanent state government positions and the council's recommendations for increasing veteran employment in state government.
Section
2
.
230.042 of the statutes is created to read:
230.042
Wisconsin veterans employment initiative.
(1)
In this section, an "agency" includes the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System.
(2)
In consultation with the council on veterans employment, the administrator shall develop and administer a human resources staff training program to increase the recruitment and employment of veterans in agencies.
(3)
The appointing authority of each agency with more than 100 authorized permanent full-time equivalent positions shall do all of the following:
(a) Prepare and implement a plan to employ qualified veterans with the goal of making the ratio of the number of veterans holding permanent positions in the agency to the total number of individuals holding permanent positions in the agency equal to or greater than the ratio of the number of veterans in the state civilian labor force in the preceding fiscal year to the average number of individuals in the state civilian labor force in the preceding fiscal year, as determined by the council on veterans employment.
(b) Prepare and implement a plan to employ qualified veterans with a service-connected disability rating with the goal of making the ratio of the number of veterans with a service-connected disability rating holding permanent positions in the agency to the total number of individuals holding permanent positions in the agency equal to or greater than the ratio of veterans with a service-connected disability rating in the state civilian labor force in the preceding fiscal year to the average number of individuals in the state civilian labor force in the preceding fiscal year, as determined by the council on veterans employment.
(4)
Each appointing authority of an agency with 100 or fewer authorized permanent full-time equivalent positions is encouraged to do all of the following:
(a) Employ qualified veterans with the goal of making the ratio of the number of veterans holding permanent positions in the agency to the total number of individuals holding permanent positions in the agency equal to or greater than the ratio of the number of veterans in the state civilian labor force in the preceding fiscal year to the average number of individuals in the state civilian labor force in the preceding fiscal year, as determined by the council on veterans employment.
(b) Employ qualified veterans with a service-connected disability rating with the goal of making the ratio of the number of veterans with a service-connected disability rating holding permanent positions in the agency to the total number of individuals holding permanent positions in the agency equal to or greater than the ratio of veterans with a service-connected disability rating in the state civilian labor force in the preceding fiscal year to the average number of individuals in the state civilian labor force in the preceding fiscal year, as determined by the council on veterans employment.
(6)
The council on veterans employment may establish separate goals that are applicable to an agency for the hiring of qualified veterans or veterans with a service-connected disability rating. If the council on veterans employment establishes such goals, the appointing authority of that agency shall prepare and implement a plan to meet those goals in lieu of the goals specified under subs. (3) and (4).
