MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2019 Regular Session
To: Military Affairs
By: Representatives Chism, Karriem, Turner, Shirley, Arnold, Sykes, Henley, Faulkner
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A PERMISSIVE PREFERENCE IN PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT FOR CERTAIN VETERANS; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PREFERENCES ESTABLISHED IN THIS ACT ARE NOT CONSIDERED VIOLATIONS OF ANY STATE OR LOCAL EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY LAW; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. (1) The Legislature intends to establish a permissive preference in private employment for certain veterans.
(2) A private employer may adopt an employment policy that gives preference in hiring to the following:
(a) An honorably discharged veteran. The term "veteran" means a person who served in the active military, naval or air service and who was discharged or released under honorable conditions only or who later received an upgraded discharge under honorable conditions, notwithstanding any action by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on individuals discharged or released with other than honorable discharges;
(b) The spouse of a person who has a total disability, permanent in nature, resulting from a service-connected disability and who, because of this disability, cannot qualify for employment, and the spouse of a person missing in action, captured in the line of duty by a hostile force, or forcibly detained or interned in the line of duty by a foreign government or power;
(c) The unremarried widow or widower of a veteran who died of a service-connected disability; and
(d) The unremarried widow or widower of a member of the United States Armed Forces who died in the line of duty under combat-related conditions.
Such policy shall be applied uniformly to employment decisions regarding hiring and promotion.
(3) The preferences established in this act are not considered violations of any state or local equal employment opportunity law.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2019.