PEORIA, IL – State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) is highlighting legislation recently signed into law aimed at assisting veterans and encouraging employment.
“Our nation is fortunate to have so many brave men and women who have chosen to defend our country, we must strive to assist them when they return from service,” Gordon-Booth said. “Often our veterans put their education and professional training on hold while they are serving in the military. As veterans re-enter civilian life and search for a new job, we should to everything we can to ease this transition.”
Gordon-Booth supported multiple measures allow veterans to use the training and experience they gained in the military to meet the requirements of some skilled jobs. House Bill 2563 waives the driver’s skills test needed to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) for veterans who received the same training and drove commercial vehicles. Subject to federal requirements, this new law would eliminate the cost and training that is currently necessary to obtain a CDL.
House bill 3186 requires the Illinois Department of Public Health to recognize EMT training completed while in the military. When applying for their EMT license, veterans will now be able to use previous training to meet state requirements, instead of participating in the training again.
Currently, veterans who have been honorably discharged from the military and have received an Afghan or Iraqi Campaign Medal are able to have college education requirement waived when applying to the Illinois State Police (ISP). Senate Bill 204 expands this waiver to include those currently serving in the Illinois National Guard or Reserves, and veterans who have been honorably discharged and received the Southwest Asia Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Koran Defense Service Medal or the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
“Members of the military have sacrificed so much to protect us and our loved ones,” Gordon-Booth said. “These changes, to help qualified individuals obtain employment, are the least we can do for those who have served our country. I will continue pushing for other common-sense reforms and policies to help our nation’s servicemen and women find jobs after they leave the military.”
For more information about this or other pieces of legislation, please contact Gordon-Booth’s constituent service office at (309) 681-1992.