Governor Raimondo Signed Bills that Expand Opportunity for Veterans
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – On Tuesday, Governor Gina M. Raimondo held a signing ceremony for a series of bills passed this year which recognize the contributions of Rhode Island’s veterans and expand opportunity for those who served our nation. The bills include legislation that allows private employers to provide a hiring preferences for veterans and protects jobs for Rhode Islanders serving in the National Guard. The signing ceremony was held in Warren Town Hall. The Governor was joined by members of the General Assembly, Rhode Island Director of Veterans Affairs Kasim Yarn, representatives from Rhode Island’s veterans organizations and military families.
Bill signing ceremony was for the following legislation:
Prohibits recreational dog walking in Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery Bills: H7441A Sponsors: Representative Malik, Senator Felag
Allows private employers to adopt an employment policy that provides a preference in hiring or promotion, or both, to a veteran Bills: H8036 S2886
Sponsors: Represesentative Malik, Senator Felag
Protects the jobs of Rhode Island employees serving in National Guard units in Rhode Island or any other state Bills: H8037A , S2888aa Sponsors: Representative Malik, Senator Faleg
records are used to apply for benefits of any kind Bills: H8319 [, S2296A Sponsors: Representative Malik, Senator Nesselbush
Changes the name of the Central Bridge in the town of Barrington to the “Barrington Veterans’ Memorial Bridge” Bills: H7120 , S2073 Sponsors: Representative Malik, Senator Coyne
Corrects the law reflecting the dedicated space for veterans’ organizations to the William F. Powers Building and updates the list of chartered veterans’ organizations who can use the space Bills: H8184 , S2905A Sponsors: Representative Malik, Senator Felag
Governor Raimondo said “Rhode Island owns gratitude towards veterans and for the past handful of years we haven’t been doing enough. So as Governor top priority of mine is to really redouble our efforts to help our veterans. So today I was happy to sign a half of dozen bills design to make it easier for veterans to receive benefit that they are owed, medical benefits, making sure that the veterans cemetery in Exeter is well taken care of, so people have a dignified place to be buried; also making it easier for veterans to get a job.”
“And I want to encourage, I am encouraging and calling on all employers in Rhode Island to hire vets. Go out of your way to hire a vet, they served honorable for the country and we ought to be there for them.”
“So I appointed a new Director of Veterans Affairs and I have directed him to be more in the veteran’s community than ever and to let veterans know, I know we haven’t done as much as we should of in the past handful of years, we are getting to it now, we’re starting and there is more to come.”