CITY OF PORTLAND

HUMAN RESOURCES

ADMINISTRATIVE RULES

EMPLOYMENT

VETERANS PREFERENCE

Statutory Provisions

State law requires that employment preference be given for having served in the Armed Forces of the United States on active duty, for reasons other than training, during periods of war or any other campaign, expedition, or engagement for which a campaign badge or medal is authorized by the United States Department of Defense.

Who is Eligible?

Veteran means a person who served in the Armed Forces of the United States on active duty, during certain specified time periods or in military campaigns, for reasons other than training, and has been discharged under other than dishonorable conditions.

Eligible veteran means:

□  A veteran who served on active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States for a period of more than 180 consecutive days and was discharged with an honorable or general discharge; or

□  A veteran who served during a period of war declared by Congress; or

□  A veteran who served during a period of war from April 28, 1952 through July 1, 1955; or

□  A veteran who served during a period of war in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized, such as El Salvador, Lebanon, Granada, Panama, Southwest Asia, Somalia, and Haiti. NOTE: Medal holders and Gulf War veterans who originally enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered on active duty on or after October 14, 1982, without having previously completed 24 months of continuous active duty, must have served continuously for 24 months for the full period called or ordered to active duty; or

□  A veteran who suffered a disabling injury for service-related reasons during peacetime.

How to Claim Veteran's Preference in Initial Selection

An applicant may be eligible for five (5) points as a qualified veteran. To claim veterans' preference upon initial application, applicants must submit a completed and signed Veterans’ Preference Form and a copy of their DD Form 214 (proof of eligibility) to the Bureau of Human Resources. The Bureau of Human Resources shall verify eligibility.

An applicant may be eligible for ten (10) points as a qualified disabled veteran. To claim the ten (10) preference points an applicant must submit certification of a service connected disability by submitting:

1.  a completed and signed Veterans’ Preference Form; and

2.  a copy of the DD Form 214; and

3.  a copy of the Veteran’s Administration Form Letter 802, dated within the last six months.

Once a veteran has been permanently appointed and has successfully completed their probationary period in a position for which they have had five (5) preference points applied to their final score, he/she may not use the preference points again. A veteran may only have the five (5) preference points added once for a position to which they have been permanently appointed. The ten (10) disability preference points may be applied to all of the competitive processes.

A veteran may apply for either five (5) preference points as a qualified veteran, or ten (10) preference points as a qualified disabled veteran, but not both.

When Veterans’ Preference Points are Awarded

In selection procedures, where numerically scored examinations are used in determining the relative ranking of candidates, veterans’ preference points shall be awarded to eligible veterans at the completion of the recruitment examination procedures prior to ranks being assigned.

Administrative Rule History

Adopted by Council March 6, 2002

Effective April 5, 2002