Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates the Wisconsin Veterans Employment Initiative, a program to
increase the number of veterans holding permanent state government positions.
The bill creates a Council on Veterans Employment, which consists of the following
state officials or their designees: the secretary of administration, the administrator
of the Division of Personnel Management in the Department of Administration
(DOA), the secretary of veterans affairs, the secretary of workforce development, and
the president of the University of Wisconsin System.
The bill requires the council to 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. Under the bill, the Department of Workforce
Development provides staff support to the council.
The bill requires the administrator of the Division of Personnel Management
in DOA, in consultation with the council, to develop and administer a human
resources staff training program to increase the recruitment and employment of
veterans in agencies. In addition, state agencies are required or encouraged to meet
certain hiring goals.
Agencies with more than 100 full-time employees must 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 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. These agencies must also prepare and implement a similar plan to employ
qualified veterans with a service-connected disability rating.
Agencies with 100 or fewer full-time employees are encouraged 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.
These agencies are also encouraged to employ qualified veterans with a
service-connected disability rating.
Finally, the bill permits the council to establish different employment goals for
veterans in state agencies than the ones specified above.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB441,1 1Section 1. 14.017 (6) of the statutes is created to read:
AB441,2,32 14.017 (6) Council on veterans employment. (a) There is created in the office
3of the governor a council on veterans employment consisting of all of the following:
AB441,2,54 1. The secretary of administration or his or her designee, who shall serve as
5chairperson of the council.
AB441,2,76 2. The administrator of the division of personnel management in the
7department of administration or his or her designee.
AB441,2,88 3. The secretary of veterans affairs or his or her designee.
AB441,2,99 4. The secretary of workforce development or his or her designee.
AB441,2,1010 5. The president of the University of Wisconsin System or his or her designee.
AB441,3,211 (b) The council shall advise and assist the governor and state agencies with the
12recruitment and employment of veterans, including specifically veterans with a

1service-connected disability rating, so as to increase veteran employment in state
2government. To this end, the council shall do all of the following:
AB441,3,43 1. Identify program areas of state government in which the employment of
4veterans can be increased.
AB441,3,65 2. Identify state agency positions that have duties especially suitable to the
6skills and work experiences of veterans.
AB441,3,87 3. Ensure that state agencies develop training programs to assist veterans in
8acquiring the skills necessary to hold state agency positions.
AB441,3,119 4. Ensure that state agencies develop training and counseling programs for
10veterans to assist in their transition from military service to state government
11employment.
AB441,3,1412 5. Ensure that the division of personnel management in the department of
13administration develops training programs for human resources staff to increase the
14recruitment and employment of veterans in state agencies.
AB441,3,1715 6. Prepare a model strategy for state agencies to increase the employment of
16qualified veterans, which includes recommendations to streamline the process of
17employing qualified veterans with a service-connected disability rating.
AB441,3,1918 7. Promote state government employment as a viable post-military career
19opportunity for veterans.
AB441,3,2120 8. Identify and promote to state agencies the valuable and transferrable skills
21of veterans.
AB441,3,2322 (c) 1. The department of workforce development shall provide staff support to
23the council.
AB441,4,3
12. The department of workforce development shall make the determinations
2under s. 230.042 (3) (a) and (4) (a) and shall assist the council in making its
3determinations under s. 230.042 (3) (b) and (4) (b).
AB441,4,64 3. The council may establish separate goals that are applicable to a state agency
5for the hiring of qualified veterans or veterans with a service-connected disability
6rating that are in lieu of the goals specified under s. 230.042 (3) and (4).
AB441,4,127 (d) Annually, on or before September 1, the secretary of administration shall
8submit a report to the governor on the activities of the council in assisting state
9agencies with the recruitment and employment of veterans. The report shall include
10current information on the number of veterans holding permanent state government
11positions and the council's recommendations for increasing veteran employment in
12state government.
AB441,2 13Section 2. 230.042 of the statutes is created to read:
AB441,4,15 14230.042 Wisconsin veterans employment initiative. (1) In this section,
15an "agency" includes the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System.
AB441,4,18 16(2) In consultation with the council on veterans employment, the
17administrator shall develop and administer a human resources staff training
18program to increase the recruitment and employment of veterans in agencies.
AB441,4,20 19(3) The appointing authority of each agency with more than 100 authorized
20permanent full-time equivalent positions shall do all of the following:
AB441,5,221 (a) Prepare and implement a plan to employ qualified veterans with the goal
22of making the ratio of the number of veterans holding permanent positions in the
23agency to the total number of individuals holding permanent positions in the agency
24equal to or greater than the ratio of the number of veterans in the state civilian labor
25force in the preceding fiscal year to the average number of individuals in the state

1civilian labor force in the preceding fiscal year, as determined by the council on
2veterans employment.
AB441,5,103 (b) Prepare and implement a plan to employ qualified veterans with a
4service-connected disability rating with the goal of making the ratio of the number
5of veterans with a service-connected disability rating holding permanent positions
6in the agency to the total number of individuals holding permanent positions in the
7agency equal to or greater than the ratio of veterans with a service-connected
8disability rating in the state civilian labor force in the preceding fiscal year to the
9average number of individuals in the state civilian labor force in the preceding fiscal
10year, as determined by the council on veterans employment.
AB441,5,12 11(4) Each appointing authority of an agency with 100 or fewer authorized
12permanent full-time equivalent positions is encouraged to do all of the following:
AB441,5,1813 (a) Employ qualified veterans with the goal of making the ratio of the number
14of veterans holding permanent positions in the agency to the total number of
15individuals holding permanent positions in the agency equal to or greater than the
16ratio of the number of veterans in the state civilian labor force in the preceding fiscal
17year to the average number of individuals in the state civilian labor force in the
18preceding fiscal year, as determined by the council on veterans employment.
AB441,6,219 (b) Employ qualified veterans with a service-connected disability rating with
20the goal of making the ratio of the number of veterans with a service-connected
21disability rating holding permanent positions in the agency to the total number of
22individuals holding permanent positions in the agency equal to or greater than the
23ratio of veterans with a service-connected disability rating in the state civilian labor
24force in the preceding fiscal year to the average number of individuals in the state

1civilian labor force in the preceding fiscal year, as determined by the council on
2veterans employment.
AB441,6,5 3(5) For the purposes of calculating the ratios under subs. (3) and (4), an agency
4may include veterans who are employed on a full-time basis with an independent
5contractor that provides services to the agency.
AB441,6,11 6(6) The council on veterans employment may establish separate goals that are
7applicable to an agency for the hiring of qualified veterans or veterans with a
8service-connected disability rating. If the council on veterans employment
9establishes such goals, the appointing authority of that agency shall prepare and
10implement a plan to meet those goals in lieu of the goals specified under subs. (3) and
11(4).
AB441,6,1212 (End)
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