An Act To Create Veteran-friendly Workplaces
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1441
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: COLLINGS, CARSON, DEVIN, GOLDEN, PICCHIOTTI, PRESCOTT, BELLOWS, CARPENTER, DOW
Amends: 26 MRSA §605, 26 MRSA §1407, 37-B MRSA §516

Legislative Document
No. 1441
H.P. 996
House of Representatives, April 13, 2017
An Act To Create Veteran-friendly Workplaces
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative COLLINGS of Portland.
Cosponsored by Senator CARSON of Cumberland and
Representatives: CASÁS of Rockport, DEVIN of Newcastle, GOLDEN of Lewiston, 
PICCHIOTTI of Fairfield, PRESCOTT of Waterboro, Senators: BELLOWS of Kennebec, 
CARPENTER of Aroostook, DOW of Lincoln.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  26 MRSA §605 is enacted to read: 
§605.  Veterans in the workplace 
An employer, as defined in section 603, subsection 1, paragraph A, shall allow an 
employee who is a veteran, as defined in section 877, subsection 3, to take paid leave to 
attend scheduled appointments at a medical facility operated by the United States 
Veterans Administration.  The employee shall make reasonable efforts to consult with the 
employer before scheduling such an appointment in order to accommodate, so far as is 
reasonable, the needs of the employer.  The employer may require reasonable advance 
notice and verification from the veteran of such an appointment.  For purposes of this 
section, "paid leave" means time away from work for which an employee receives 
compensation, including but not limited to sick time or other paid time, and that results in 
no economic loss to the employee. 
Sec. 2.  26 MRSA §1407 is enacted to read: 
§1407.  Veteran-friendly workplace recognition 
The department shall recognize employers in the State whose workplaces have been 
certified as veteran-friendly workplaces by the Department of Defense, Veterans and 
Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services pursuant to Title 37-B, 
section 516, subsection 2. 
Sec. 3.  37-B MRSA §516 is enacted to read: 
§516.  Veteran-friendly Workplace Program established 
The Veteran-friendly Workplace Program is established in the bureau to encourage 
employers to establish veteran-friendly workplaces and to provide assistance and training 
to employers in the State for that purpose.  As used in this section, "veteran-friendly 
workplace" means a place of employment that, through policies and a workplace 
environment, recognizes the ways in which skills and training acquired through veterans' 
military service and education are translatable into workforce productivity and that 
accommodates challenges facing military service veterans, including, but not limited to, 
service-connected disabilities. 
1.  Training.  The director shall conduct regular training sessions for employers who 
voluntarily decide to establish veteran-friendly workplaces that include but are not 
limited to providing information regarding: 
A.  Recognizing skills acquired during military service that translate into desirable 
skills in the workplace; 
B.  Understanding and recognizing the signs of post-traumatic stress disorder; 
C.  Understanding military culture and the challenges of entering the workforce upon 
separation from the military; and 
D.  Other topics the director determines would be helpful in encouraging a 
veteran-friendly workplace. 
2.  Certification.  The director shall establish criteria, to be used in certifying a 
workplace as a veteran-friendly workplace, applicable to employers of various sizes and 
in various industries. 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes a program within the Department of Defense, Veterans and 
Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services to encourage employers in 
the State to establish veteran-friendly workplaces.  The bill provides criteria for certifying 
a workplace as a veteran-friendly workplace and requires the Director of the Bureau of 
Maine Veterans' Services to conduct regular trainings for employers who voluntarily 
decide to establish such a workplace.  The bill also directs the Department of Labor to 
establish a manner for recognizing employers whose workplaces have been certified as 
veteran-friendly workplaces. 
This bill also requires an employer to allow an employee who is a veteran to take 
paid leave to attend scheduled appointments at a medical facility operated by the United 
States Veterans Administration.  The employee must make reasonable efforts to consult 
with the employer before scheduling such an appointment in order to accommodate, so 
far as is reasonable, the needs of the employer.  The employer may require reasonable 
advance notice and verification from the veteran of such an appointment.