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An Act To Expedite Health Care Employment for Military Veterans
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  26 MRSA c. 29  is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 29
HEALTH CARE EMPLOYMENT FOR MILITARY VETERANS
§ 2131. Definitions
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
 
1.  Apprentice.     "Apprentice" has the same meaning as in section 3201, subsection 1.
 
2.  Department.     "Department" means the Department of Labor.
 
3.  Eligible veteran.     "Eligible veteran" means:
 
A.  A person who currently serves in the United States Armed Forces, the National Guard of any state or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces and who has obtained health care-related military training or experience; or
 
B.  A person who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable and who has completed health care-related military training or experience in the United States Armed Forces, the National Guard of any state or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces.
 
4.  National certification.     "National certification" means a credential from a national organization or national board that evaluates the qualifications and competency of individuals to practice in a specific occupation and includes but is not limited to a credential issued following passage of an examination administered by the organization or board.
 
5.  Program.     "Program" means the Health Care Employment for Military Veterans Program established in section 2132.
§ 2132. Health Care Employment for Military Veterans Program
 
1.  Establishment; purpose.     The department shall, using existing resources and available grant funding, establish and implement in accordance with this section the Health Care Employment for Military Veterans Program to assist eligible veterans who desire to obtain employment in civilian health care occupations in the State.
 
2.  Evaluation of military health care occupational specialties.     The department, in implementing the program, shall create a document, referred to in this subsection as "the military-to-civilian crosswalk," that describes the military training and experience that members of the United States Armed Forces, the National Guard of any state or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces are required to complete to engage in various military health care occupational specialties and compares that required military training and experience with the education and training requirements for equivalent or similar civilian health care occupations in this State. The military-to-civilian crosswalk must include information to assist eligible veterans, occupational licensing boards and postsecondary education institutions in the State in determining:
 
A.  The gaps that exist between the military training and experience obtained by individuals who served in specific military health care occupational specialties and the education and experience required to obtain national certification in equivalent or similar civilian health care occupations; and
 
B.  The gaps that exist between the military training and experience obtained by individuals who served in specific military health care occupational specialties and the education and experience required to obtain any required licensure or certification to perform an equivalent or similar civilian health care occupation in this State.
 
3.  Direct assistance to eligible veterans.     The department, in implementing the program, shall provide direct assistance to eligible veterans. The department shall:
 
A.  Assist eligible veterans in compiling comprehensive portfolios of their military training and experience;
 
B.  Collaborate with postsecondary education institutions in the State to assist eligible veterans in receiving academic credit for experience, education and training the eligible veterans obtained during military service; and
 
C.  Advocate for eligible veterans who request assistance in enrolling in postsecondary education programs in the State or in securing employment in a health care occupation in the State.
 
4.  Coordination with the Maine Apprenticeship Program.     The department shall ensure collaboration between the program and the Maine Apprenticeship Program, established in section 3202, to recruit employers in the State to sponsor eligible veterans to serve as apprentices in health care occupations.
 
5.  Priority.     If the number of eligible veterans seeking assistance from the program exceeds the capacity of the program, the program shall give priority to eligible veterans who were discharged or released from military service no longer than 2 years prior to seeking assistance.
 
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 128th Legislature, Second Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.