Civil service: veterans' preference in hiring.

The State Civil Service Act contains various provisions providing for veterans' credits in relation to any open competitive entrance examination. Existing law requires that veterans, widows or widowers of veterans, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans, who become eligible for certification from eligible lists by attaining a passing mark, be allowed specified additional credits. Existing law provides that veterans who become eligible by attaining a passing mark are required to be classified ahead of all nonveterans with respect to entrance examinations to establish eligible lists for policemen and watchmen. Existing law also authorizes general or individual preference in ratings to veterans who have suffered permanent disability in the line of duty subject to certain requirements. Existing law requires credit to be added to the percentage attained in the examination by the veteran, widow or widower, requires the name of each to be placed on the eligible list after the credit has been added, and requires ties to be decided in favor of veterans and widows or widowers of veterans. Under existing law, for any entrance examination held to fill a vacancy, a veteran who becomes eligible for certification from eligible lists by attaining the passing mark is required to receive certain credits. This bill would delete the credit provisions and would revise and recast the provisions governing veterans' preference. The bill would instead provide that whenever any veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100% disabled veteran achieves a passing score on an entrance examination, he or she is required to be ranked in the top rank of the resulting eligibility list, except if the veteran was dishonorably discharged or released. For purposes of allowing preference points to veterans for civil service entrance examinations, existing law defines an entrance examination to include any open competitive examination other than one for a class having a requirement of both college graduation and 2 or more years of experience. This bill would delete the provision that excludes those examinations for a class having a requirement of both college graduation and 2 or more years of experience from the definition of an entrance examination for purposes of allowing preference points for veterans, as specified. Existing law requires the request for and proof of eligibility for veterans' preference credits to be submitted by the veteran to the department conducting the employment examination. This bill would authorize that eligibility to be submitted to the designated appointing authority conducting the employment examination. The bill would make findings and declarations in this regard. The bill would also make other technical and conforming changes.