HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1936        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3621

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

John C. Velis and Michael F. Rush

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act protecting veterans’ preference in hiring practices.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

John C. Velis

4th Hampden

1/19/2017

Michael F. Rush

Norfolk and Suffolk

2/1/2017

David F. DeCoste

5th Plymouth

3/14/2018

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

3/14/2018

Aaron Vega

5th Hampden

3/14/2018

Michael J. Finn

6th Hampden

3/14/2018

Jeffrey N. Roy

10th Norfolk

4/3/2017

Marc T. Lombardo

22nd Middlesex

3/14/2018

Timothy R. Whelan

1st Barnstable

4/3/2017

Colleen M. Garry

36th Middlesex

3/14/2018

Carolyn C. Dykema

8th Middlesex

3/14/2018

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

3/14/2018

Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr.

5th Worcester

3/14/2018

David T. Vieira

3rd Barnstable

3/14/2018

William L. Crocker, Jr.

2nd Barnstable

3/14/2018

Kate D. Campanale

17th Worcester

3/14/2018

Paul McMurtry

11th Norfolk

3/14/2018

Eric P. Lesser

First Hampden and Hampshire

3/14/2018

Paul R. Heroux

2nd Bristol

3/14/2018

Shawn Dooley

9th Norfolk

3/14/2018

James J. Dwyer

30th Middlesex

3/14/2018

Steven Ultrino

33rd Middlesex

3/14/2018

Michelle M. DuBois

10th Plymouth

4/4/2017

RoseLee Vincent

16th Suffolk

3/14/2018

Susan Williams Gifford

2nd Plymouth

3/14/2018

Sheila C. Harrington

1st Middlesex

3/14/2018

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

4/4/2017

Brian Murray

10th Worcester

3/14/2018

Alan Silvia

7th Bristol

3/14/2018

Tackey Chan

2nd Norfolk

3/14/2018

Daniel J. Ryan

2nd Suffolk

3/14/2018

Peter V. Kocot

1st Hampshire

3/14/2018

Donald F. Humason, Jr.

Second Hampden and Hampshire

3/14/2018

Paul Tucker

7th Essex

3/14/2018

John J. Lawn, Jr.

10th Middlesex

3/14/2018

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

4/4/2017

Harold P. Naughton, Jr.

12th Worcester

3/14/2018

Robert M. Koczera

11th Bristol

3/14/2018

Angelo L. D'Emilia

8th Plymouth

3/14/2018

Stephan Hay

3rd Worcester

3/14/2018

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

3/14/2018

James Arciero

2nd Middlesex

3/14/2018

Gerard Cassidy

9th Plymouth

3/14/2018

Walter F. Timilty

Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth

3/14/2018

Richard J. Ross

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

3/14/2018

Theodore C. Speliotis

13th Essex

3/14/2018

Brendan P. Crighton

Third Essex

3/14/2018

Michael S. Day

31st Middlesex

3/14/2018

Daniel Cahill

10th Essex

4/5/2017

Barbara A. L'Italien

Second Essex and Middlesex

4/4/2017

Claire D. Cronin

11th Plymouth

3/14/2018

Daniel J. Hunt

13th Suffolk

3/14/2018

Josh S. Cutler

6th Plymouth

3/14/2018

Susannah M. Whipps

2nd Franklin

4/5/2017

Michael D. Brady

Second Plymouth and Bristol

4/5/2017

Linda Dean Campbell

15th Essex

4/5/2017

Peter J. Durant

6th Worcester

4/5/2017

Jennifer L. Flanagan

Worcester and Middlesex

4/5/2017

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

4/5/2017

Rady Mom

18th Middlesex

4/5/2017

Elizabeth A. Poirier

14th Bristol

4/5/2017


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1936        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3621

By Representative Velis of Westfield and Senator Rush, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3621) of John C. Velis, Michael F. Rush and others relative to veterans’ preference hiring practices.  Public Service.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act protecting veterans’ preference in hiring practices.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 2 of chapter 31 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after subsection (f) the following subsection:-

(f½) To hear and decide appeals alleging that a city or town has not provided a veterans’ preference, as required by chapter 96B½ of chapter 41, to an applicant for original appointment to the position of police officer or firefighter in any city or town exempt from this chapter.

SECTION 2. Section 3 of said chapter 31, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “appointments”, in lines 27 and 28, the following words:- ; including, in consultation with the commission prior to promulgating such rules, rules that include the right of an applicant for original appointment to the position of police officer or firefighter in any city or town to appeal to the commission that a city or town has not provided a veterans’ preference, as required by chapter 96B½ of chapter 41, to such applicant.

SECTION 3. Section 1 of chapter 31A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “hereinafter”, in line 6, the following words:- ; provided, however, that notwithstanding this chapter or any other general or special law, rule, regulation or by-law to the contrary, a city or town shall, for original appointment of any firefighter or police officer, place on eligible lists in the following order the names of the following persons who pass examinations: (1) disabled veterans, in the order of their respective standings; (2) veterans, in the order of their respective standings; (3) widows or widowed mothers of veterans who were killed in action or died from a service connected disability incurred in wartime service, in the order of their respective standings; (4) a son or daughter of a fire fighter or police officer as set forth in paragraphs 7 and 8 of section 26 of chapter 31, in the order of their respective standings; and (5) all others, in the order of their respective standings.

SECTION 4. Section 3 of said chapter 31A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “preference”, in lines 23 and 24, the following words:- ; provided, however, that any applicant for original appointment to the position of police officer or firefighter in any city or town exempt from the application of said chapter 31 who alleges that a city or town has not provided the preference as required by this exception and section 96B½ of chapter 41 shall be entitled to a hearing before the civil service commission.

SECTION 5. Chapter 41 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 96B the following section:-

Section 96B½. (a) Notwithstanding section 3 of chapter 31A or any special law, a disabled veteran, a veteran, a widow or a widowed mother of a veteran killed in action or died from a service connected disability incurred in wartime service or a son or daughter of a fire fighter or police officer as set forth in paragraphs 7 and 8 of section 26 of chapter 31 applying for original appointment to the position of police officer or firefighter in any city or town exempt from said chapter 31, shall have a hiring preference over any other applicant for such position. Such person shall be deemed qualified for the position if he or she applies for, takes and passes the examination for original appointment of such position as provided in chapter 31.

(b) Any person set forth in subsection (a) who alleges that a city or town has not provided the preference as required by this section, or has not complied with any other provision of this section may request a hearing before the civil service commission as provided for in section 3 of chapter 31A.

(c) Any city or town that violates this section shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000 for each such violation. Each day each such violation occurs or continues shall be deemed a separate offense. This penalty shall be in addition to any other penalties that may be prescribed by law or damages allowed by law.

SECTION 6. A city or town exempt from chapter 31 of the General Laws, shall, within 30 days of the passage of this act, post a notice on its municipal website home page that any position for full-time police officer or firefighter position is subject to the hiring preference set forth in this act.