Members of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee held a public hearing in Harrisburg last week to study two bills to strengthen veterans preference laws in public sector employment, according to state Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)
House Bill 1092 would create the Office of Veterans Advocate to assist veterans who experience problems with veterans preference, civil service appointments and post-deployment civilian employment. House Bill 1152 would reform, strengthen and clarify the use of veterans preference in the public sector.
Late last year, lawmakers passed a veterans preference bill that Gov. Tom Corbett signed into law. Act 76 of 2011 requires at least one member of the State Civil Service Commission be a veteran.