An Act To Create Veteran-friendly Workplaces
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1654
Committee: Labor and Housing
Sponsors: COLLINGS, JACKSON
Amends: 26 MRSA §637

Legislative Document
No. 1654
H.P. 1190
House of Representatives, April 30, 2019
An Act To Create Veteran-friendly Workplaces
Reference to the Committee on Labor and Housing suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative COLLINGS of Portland.
Cosponsored by President JACKSON of Aroostook.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  26 MRSA §637 is enacted to read:
§637.  Leave for appointments for veterans
1.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A.  "Employer" means a public or private employer.
B.  "Paid leave" has the same meaning as in section 636, subsection 1, paragraph C.
C.  "Veteran" means an employee who is a veteran, as defined in section 877, 
subsection 3.
2.  Leave.  An employer who provides paid leave and has 10 or more employees shall 
allow a veteran to take paid leave to attend a scheduled appointment at a medical facility 
operated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.  An employer who does 
not provide paid leave and has 10 or more employees shall grant unpaid leave to a veteran 
to attend a scheduled appointment at a medical facility operated by the United States 
Department of Veterans Affairs.  An employer who provides paid leave and has fewer 
than 10 employees shall allow a veteran to take paid leave to attend a scheduled 
appointment at a medical facility operated by the United States Department of Veterans 
Affairs when the veteran provides the employer at least 2 weeks' notice of such an 
appointment unless the United States Department of Veterans Affairs provides the 
veteran less than 2 weeks' notice of an appointment, in which case the veteran shall 
provide the employer notice of the appointment as soon as reasonably possible.  An 
employer who does not provide paid leave and has fewer than 10 employees shall grant 
unpaid leave to a veteran to attend a scheduled appointment at a medical facility operated 
by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs when the veteran provides the 
employer at least 2 weeks' notice of such an appointment unless the United States 
Department of Veterans Affairs provides the veteran less than 2 weeks' notice of an 
appointment, in which case the veteran shall provide the employer notice of the 
appointment as soon as reasonably possible.  For an appointment for which a veteran 
provides less than 2 weeks' notice to an employer that has fewer than 10 employees 
unless the United States Department of Veterans Affairs provides the veteran less than 2 
weeks' notice of an appointment, in which case the veteran shall provide the employer 
notice of the appointment as soon as reasonably possible, the employer is not required to 
grant paid or unpaid leave.
SUMMARY
This bill requires an employer who provides paid leave and has 10 or more 
employees to allow a veteran to take paid leave to attend a scheduled appointment at a 
medical facility operated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.  An 
employer who does not provide paid leave and has 10 or more employees must grant 
unpaid leave to a veteran to attend a scheduled appointment at a medical facility operated 
by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. An employer who provides paid 
leave and has fewer than 10 employees must allow a veteran to take paid leave to attend a 
scheduled appointment at a medical facility operated by the United States Department of 
Veterans Affairs when the veteran provides the employer at least 2 weeks' notice of such 
an appointment unless the United States Department of Veterans Affairs provides the 
veteran less than 2 weeks' notice of an appointment, in which case the veteran shall 
provide the employer notice of the appointment as soon as reasonably possible.  An 
employer who does not provide paid leave and has fewer than 10 employees must grant 
unpaid leave to a veteran to attend a scheduled appointment at a medical facility operated 
by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs when the veteran provides the 
employer at least 2 weeks' notice of such an appointment unless the United States 
Department of Veterans Affairs provides the veteran less than 2 weeks' notice of an 
appointment, in which case the veteran shall provide the employer notice of the 
appointment as soon as reasonably possible.