WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Veterans get boost from House in transition to civilian careers

Veterans would get recognition from the state for the training they received in the military under a pair of bills passed by the House Wednesday that aim to boost later progress in education and professional life. soldiers

“The training our veterans received in the military provided them with valuable skills, and it makes sense for our colleges and professional licensing programs to give them credit for that experience,” the bills’ sponsor, Rep. John McCoy, said. “By making that happen, we help these veterans make the transition to successful and productive civilian careers.”

The bills by McCoy, D-Tulalip, where among several sponsored by members of the Democratic majority that recognize the value of military and community service and that cleared the House by 5 p.m. Wednesday. That was the deadline for bills (other than budgetary measures) that originated in the House to win approval there and move to the Senate for further action.

The McCoy bills are:

House Bill 1858, which requires public colleges and universities to develop policies to award academic credit for military training courses or programs that have been completed by their students. The policies must be adopted by the end of 2014. The bill passed 97-0.

House Bill 1859, which provides that military training and experience satisfies requirements for professional licensing if the training or experience is documented and substantially equivalent to the licensing requirements in state law. The House voted 97-0 for the bill.

“If passed in the Senate and signed by the governor, Rep. McCoy’s efforts on this issue and other, similar matters will greatly help our new veterans reach their academic goals — and then secure rewarding employment,” said Mark San Souci of the U.S. Dept. of Defense.

Among other Democratic-sponsored bills recognizing the importance of military and community service are:

House Bill 1109, sponsored by Rep. Drew Hansen of Bainbridge Island, which calls for state community colleges and universities that offer early course registration to some students to extend the offer to veterans and National Guard members so they can get into the courses they need to train for new careers. It won approval on a 98-0 vote.

House Bill 1412 , sponsored by Rep. Steve Bergquist of Renton, which requires students to complete community service as a state high-school graduation requirement, beginning with the class of 2017. It passed 92-6.

House Bill 1909, sponsored by Rep. Sam Hunt of Olympia, which allows businesses owned jointly by a veteran and the veteran’s spouse or domestic partner to be certified as a veteran-owned business. It also encourages state agencies to award 5 percent of their procurement contracts to veteran-owned businesses. It was approved 97-0.