TRENTON) –
Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Matthew Milam, Gabriela Mosquera,
Timothy Eustace and Daniel R. Benson to help veterans find work was released
today by the Senate Commerce Committee.
The bill (A-2882) requires
professional or occupational boards that issue professional or occupational
licenses or certificates to provide waivers or exemptions for any applicant who
received training, education, or experience while serving as a member of the
Armed Forces that is substantially equivalent to the training, education, or
experience required for licensure or certification.
“The unemployment rate for veterans
returning from Iraq and
Afghanistan is a stunning 29
percent,” said Milam (D-Atlantic/Cape May/Cumberland). “That means that nearly
one in every three Americans who fought to defend freedom across the globe
cannot find work when they return home. That is just unacceptable, and we must
find ways like this to change it.”
“The unemployment rate among our
returning heroes is shameful,” said Mosquera (D-Gloucester/Camden). “These are
men and women who fought for our liberty, yet when they come home they are
shuffled off to the unemployment line. We need to focus on changing that with
common sense bills like this one.”
“If we trust these men and women with
our freedom, then we should be able to trust the training they received from our
Armed Forces,” said Eustace (D-Bergen/Passaic). “Having nearly one-third of our
returning veterans out-of-work is just flat-out wrong. A bill like this is quite
simply the right thing to do.”
“Our veterans are among the best
trained people you’ll find, so let’s trust that training and put these men and
women to work,” said Benson (D-Mercer/Middlesex). “These veterans deserve our
best, not red tape that makes it even more difficult for them to find a job.
They’ve helped us by defending our freedom, so let’s help them provide for
themselves and their families with a good-paying job.”
The bill requires each board to
provide for methods of evaluating the equivalence of training, education or
experience obtained in the Armed Forces of the United States to
the training, education, or experience required by the board for licensure or
certification. Each board would also promulgate regulations on the partial or
total waiver or exemption from requirements toward licensure or certification to
be provided for substantially equivalent training, education, or experience
obtained in the Armed Forces of the United States.
Furthermore, this bill requires each
professional or occupational board that issues licenses or certificates for
which professional training, education, or experience to report to the General
Assembly Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the Senate Military and
Veterans’ Affairs Committee concerning that board’s compliance with the
requirements of the bill by 180 days following the date of
enactment.
No comments:
Post a Comment