1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to veterans; requiring an interview for certain veterans claiming veterans 
1.3 	preference for positions of state government employment; applying to state civil 
1.4 	service certain removal provisions in current local government law; requiring a 
1.5 	report of certain state employment statistics pertaining to veterans;amending 
1.6 	Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 43A.11, subdivision 7; 197.455, subdivision 
1.7 	1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 197.
1.8 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.9 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 43A.11, subdivision 7, is amended to read:
1.10 		Subd. 7.Ranking of veterans. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications 
1.11 	for a vacant position and claim disabled veteran's preference shall be listed in the applicant 
1.12 	pool ahead of all other applicants. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications for a 
1.13 	vacant position and claim nondisabled veteran's preference shall be listed in the applicant 
1.14 	pool after those claiming disabled veteran's preference and ahead of nonveterans. Each 
1.15 	recently separated veteran or disabled veteran who meets minimum qualifications for 
1.16 	a vacant position and has claimed a veterans or disabled veterans preference must be 
1.17 	considered for the position. The top five recently separated veterans must be granted an 
1.18 	interview for the position by the hiring authority.
1.19 	The term "recently separated veteran" means a veteran, as defined in section 
1.20 	197.447, who has served in active military service, at any time on or after September 11, 
1.21 	2001, and who has been discharged under honorable conditions from active service, 
1.22 	as shown by the person's form DD-214.

1.23 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2009, and applies to all 
1.24 	vacancies posted on or after that date.

2.1 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 197.455, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
2.2 		Subdivision 1.Application. (a) This section shall govern preference of a veteran 
2.3 	under the civil service laws, charter provisions, ordinances, rules or regulations of a 
2.4 	county, city, town, school district, or other municipality or political subdivision of this 
2.5 	state. Any provision in a law, charter, ordinance, rule or regulation contrary to the 
2.6 	applicable provisions of this section is void to the extent of such inconsistency. Sections 
2.7 	197.46 to 197.48 shall not apply to state civil service.
2.8 	(b) Sections 197.46 to 197.481 shall also apply to any veteran who is an incumbent 
2.9 	in a classified appointment in the state civil service and  has completed the probationary 
2.10 	period for that position, as defined under section 43A.16. In matters of dismissal from the 
2.11 	position, a qualified veteran has the irrevocable option of utilizing the procedures described 
2.12 	in sections 197.46 to 197.481, or the procedures provided in the collective bargaining 
2.13 	agreement applicable to the person, but not both. For a qualified veteran electing to use 
2.14 	the procedures of sections 197.46 to 197.481, the matters governed by these sections shall 
2.15 	not be considered grievances under a collective bargaining agreement, and if a veteran 
2.16 	elects to appeal the dispute through these sections, the veteran shall be precluded from 
2.17 	making an appeal under the grievance procedure of the collective bargaining agreement.

2.18 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2009, and applies to 
2.19 	appointments to state and local government positions of employment made on or after 
2.20 	that date.

2.21 	Sec. 3. [197.456] REPORTING REQUIRED.
2.22 	(a) The commissioner of finance must collect the following data from each cabinet 
2.23 	level state agency, with the exception of the Metropolitan Council, and must report those 
2.24 	data, by agency, by the second week of each legislative session, beginning in 2011, to the 
2.25 	chairs and leading minority members of each of the house of representatives and senate 
2.26 	committees having responsibility for veterans policy and finance issues:
2.27 	(1) the total number of persons employed in full-time positions of employment 
2.28 	by the state agency;
2.29 	(2) the total number of employees identified in clause (1) who are veterans;
2.30 	(3) the total number of vacant full-time positions in the agency filled by hiring or 
2.31 	appointment during the designated fiscal year;
2.32 	(4) the total number of applications received for the positions identified in clause (3);
2.33 	(5) the total number of applications identified in clause (4) for which veterans 
2.34 	preference was elected by the applicant;
3.1 	(6) the total number of applications identified in clause (5) for which the veteran 
3.2 	applicant was judged by the hiring authority as meeting minimum requirements for the 
3.3 	open positions of employment;
3.4 	(7) the total number of veteran applicants identified in clause (6) who were 
3.5 	interviewed by the hiring authority for the open positions of employment in the agency;
3.6 	(8) the total number of veteran applicants identified in clause (7) who were selected 
3.7 	for and offered employment within the open positions of employment within the agency;
3.8 	(9) the total number of veteran applicants identified in clause (8) who were hired 
3.9 	into the open positions of employment within the agency;
3.10 	(10) the total number of veteran applicants identified in clause (6) who were sent a 
3.11 	rejection letter, in accordance with section 43A.11, subdivision 9; and
3.12 	(11) any other data or information deemed important by the commissioner of finance 
3.13 	and reflecting on the efforts of the subject agency to recruit and hire veterans.
3.14 	(b) The data must reflect one full fiscal year or one full calendar year, as determined 
3.15 	by the commissioner of finance.
3.16 	(c) For the purposes of this section, "veteran" has the meaning given in section 
3.17 	197.447.

3.18 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2009.