Local Government - Hiring and Promotion Preferences for Veterans and Spouses of Service Members and Veterans (Families Serve Act)

SB 872, the "Families Serve Act," authorizes Maryland counties and municipalities to create hiring and promotion preferences for veterans and specific family members in local government jobs. It allows local governments to grant a 10-point credit on hiring tests for eligible veterans, spouses of veterans with service-connected disabilities, spouses of active-duty service members, and surviving spouses of veterans. The bill also permits an additional 2-point credit for former prisoners of war. Local governments must adopt a specific local law to implement these preferences before applying them, and it excludes current employees and veterans convicted of crimes after military service. This policy directly affects local government hiring practices and eligible veterans and their families.