Legislature Passes Knezek’s Veterans Preference Bill

Michigan Veterans scored a major win during a marathon lame duck session of the Michigan Legislature.

Just after 12:30 a.m., the Michigan Senate voted unanimously in support of House Bill 5418, legislation introduced by State Rep. David Knezek, D-Dearborn Heights), which grants private employers the ability to adopt a veterans’ preference employment policy when hiring new employees.

The bill is now headed to Gov. Rick Snyder for his signature.

“With little time to spare, we were able to gain the support of Republican leadership in the Senate to bring this critical bill up for a vote,” said Knezek. “There are many people to thank who helped me push this legislation across the finish line, including Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Director Jason Allen, Rep. Jase Bolger, Rep. Jim Stamas, Sen. Randy Richardville, Sen. Arlan Meekhof and Sen. John Moolenaar. Wayne County Commissioner Richard LeBlanc even stepped in just before midnight to lend his voice to the chorus of those asking for this bill to be passed.”

“By putting party politics aside and working together, we were able to take a monumental step forward in addressing the issue of veteran unemployment in Michigan,” he added.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not pre-empt formal state action allowing for the creation of such preference policies for veterans. However, Michigan currently has no such law on the books authorizing such a practice for private employers. While public employers have been able to authorize such a preference since the Civil War, 2015 will mark the first time private employers can do the same.

“Serving as a voice for Michigan veterans has been, and will continue to be, one of my top priorities,” said Knezek. “I believe we can do better here in our state, and I’m happy to work with anyone and everyone to make sure our veterans are protected.”

Denied Benefits?

If you served in the military and now find yourself denied benefits, we can help.

Visit our blog.

Veterans Day

Veterans Day 2024

In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I. In 1938, November 11th became a federal

Read More »
Book veterans benefits on a big flag

VA Benefits and Disaster Relief

When a natural disaster strikes, the last thing you want to worry about is your VA benefits.  Luckily, the VA is aware of the recent spike in extreme weather, including Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton,

Read More »
Vets National Logo White

Request a Free Consultation

Contact Us

Follow Us

PRIOR RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A SIMILAR OUTCOME. VETSNATIONAL IS OWNED BY MATTAR LLC VETERANS ADVOCATES WHICH IS NOT A LAW FIRM. WE ARE VETERANS ADVOCATES AND WORK WITH DISABILITY HELP GROUP (DHG) WHEN HELPING VETERANS WITH DENIED DISABILITY CLAIMS AND THEY WILL RESPOND TO CONTACTS FROM OUR WEBSITE. NO CLIENT-LAWYER RELATIONSHIP IS CREATED WITH THE COMPANY. THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT. COSTS AND EXPENSES ARE CLAIMANT’S RESPONSIBILITY. SUBJECT TO THE WRITTEN RETAINER AGREEMENT, SERVICES MAY BE PERFORMED BY OTHERS. PRIOR RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A SIMILAR OUTCOME.

Privacy Policy  |  © 2021 VetsNational. All Rights Reserved