EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0872*
SENATE BILL 872
L1, L3 5lr3131
CF 5lr2621
By: Senator Jennings
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2025
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Local Government – Hiring and Promotion Preferences for Veterans and 2
Spouses of Service Members and Veterans 3
(Families Serve Act) 4
FOR the purpose of authorizing counties and municipalities to grant, by local law, a 5
preference in the hiring and promotion to eligible veterans, spouses of eligible service 6
members, spouses of certain eligible veterans and eligible service members, and 7
surviving spouses of deceased eligible veterans; authorizing counties and 8
municipalities to adopt a local law that allows for the application of a certain credit 9
on a selection test for eligible spouses, eligible veterans, spouses of certain eligible 10
veterans, and surviving spouses of deceased eligible veterans; and generally relating 11
to hiring and promotion preferences for veterans and spouses of service members 12
and veterans. 13
BY renumbering 14
Article – Local Government 15
Section 1–204 through 1–206 16
to be Section 1–205 through 1–207, respectively 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2013 Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 20
Article – Labor and Employment 21
Section 3–714 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 24
BY adding to 25
Article – Local Government 26
Section 1–204 27
Annotated Code of Maryland 28 2 SENATE BILL 872
(2013 Volume and 2024 Supplement) 1
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 2
Article – Local Government 3
Section 12–109(a)(2) 4
Annotated Code of Maryland 5
(2013 Volume and 2024 Supplement) 6
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 8
Section 7–207(c)(1) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That Section(s) 1–204 through 1–206 of Article – Local Government of the Annotated Code 13
of Maryland be renumbered to be Section(s) 1–205 through 1–207, respectively. 14
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read 15
as follows: 16
Article – Labor and Employment 17
3–714. 18
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 19
(2) “Eligible service member” means a full–time active duty member of any 20
branch of the uniformed services of the United States. 21
(3) “Eligible veteran” means a veteran of any branch of the uniformed 22
services of the United States who has received an honorable discharge or a certificate of 23
satisfactory completion of service, including: 24
(i) the National Guard; 25
(ii) the military reserves; 26
(iii) the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service; and 27
(iv) the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and 28
Atmospheric Administration. 29
(4) “EMPLOYER” INCLUDES A COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATIO N. 30
(b) [An] SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION , AN employer may 31
grant a preference in hiring and promotion to: 32 SENATE BILL 872 3
(1) an eligible veteran; 1
(2) the spouse of an eligible veteran who has a service–connected disability; 2
(3) the spouse of an eligible service member; or 3
(4) the surviving spouse of a deceased eligible veteran. 4
(c) Granting a preference under subsection (b) of this section does not violate any 5
State or local equal employment opportunity law. 6
(D) FOR AN EMPLOYER WHO I S A COUNTY OR MUNICI PAL CORPORATION , 7
THE COUNTY OR MUNICI PAL CORPORATION SHAL L ADOPT A LOCAL LAW THAT 8
PROVIDES FOR THE HIR ING AND PROMOTION PREFER ENCE AUTHORIZED UNDE R 9
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION BEFO RE IMPLEMENTING THE PREFERENCE . 10
Article – Local Government 11
1–204. 12
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 13
INDICATED. 14
(2) “ELIGIBLE SPOUSE” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 7–207 OF THE 15
STATE PERSONNEL AND PENSIONS ARTICLE. 16
(3) “ELIGIBLE VETERAN ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 7–207 OF 17
THE STATE PERSONNEL AND PENSIONS ARTICLE. 18
(B) (1) IF A COUNTY OR MUNICI PALITY USES A SELECT ION TEST FOR THE 19
HIRING OR AP POINTMENT OF EMPLOYE ES, THE COUNTY OR MUNICI PALITY MAY 20
ADOPT A LOCAL LAW TH AT ALLOWS FOR THE AP PLICATION OF A CREDI T OF 10 21
POINTS, OR ITS EQUIVALENT , ON A SELECTION TEST FOR: 22
(I) AN ELIGIBLE SPOUSE ; 23
(II) AN ELIGIBLE VETERAN ; 24
(III) THE SPOUSE OF AN ELIGIBLE VETERAN WHO HAS A 25
SERVICE–CONNECTED DISABILITY ; OR 26
(IV) THE SURVIVING SPOUSE OF A DECEASED ELIGIB LE 27
VETERAN. 28 4 SENATE BILL 872
(2) A LOCAL LAW ADOPTED UN DER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 1
SUBSECTION: 2
(I) MAY ALLOW FOR THE AP PLICATION OF A CREDI T OF TWO 3
ADDITIONAL POINTS, OR ITS EQUIVALENT , ON ANY SELECTION TES T FOR A FORMER 4
PRISONER OF WAR ; AND 5
(II) IF NECESSARY, SHALL CLARIFY THE AP PLICATION OF ANY 6
SPECIAL CREDIT APPLI ED UNDER § 1–205 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 7
(C) THE FOLLOWING APPLICA NTS ARE INELIGIBLE F OR A CREDIT UNDER 8
THIS SUBSECTION : 9
(1) A CURRENT EMPLOYEE O F A COUNTY OR MUNICI PALITY; AND 10
(2) AN ELIGIBLE VETERAN WHO IS CONVICTED OF A CRIME AFTER 11
BEING DISCHARGED FRO M OR COMPLETING MILI TARY SERVICE. 12
12–109. 13
(a) Frederick County may: 14
(2) require a county employee, as a condition of employment, to elect to 15
receive the payment of wages by debit card or, subject to [§ 1–205(b)] § 1–206(B) and (c) of 16
this article, by direct deposit. 17
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 18
7–207. 19
(c) (1) (i) In this subsection the following words have the meanings 20
indicated. 21
(ii) “Eligible spouse” means an individual who is married to a 22
full–time active duty member of any branch of the uniformed services of the United States. 23
(iii) “Eligible veteran” means a veteran of any branch of the 24
uniformed services of the United States who has received an honorable discharge or a 25
certificate of satisfactory completion of service, including the National Guard and the 26
military reserves. 27
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FUR THER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 28
October 1, 2025. 29