Private employers may adopt a written veterans’ preference policy, but if they do, they must apply it uniformly and notify the Alabama Department of Workforce.
(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBER. An individual that is on active duty as a member of the National Guard or a reserve or active component of the Armed Forces of the United States. (2) PRIVATE EMPLOYER. A sole proprietorship, corporation, partnership, association, limited liability corporation, or any other entity with one or more employees. (3) VETERAN. An individual who has ever served in the National Guard or a reserve or active component of the Armed Forces of the United States and has been honorably discharged. (b) A private employer may adopt a voluntary veterans’ preference employment policy. The policy shall be in writing and applied uniformly to the hiring and promotion decisions of the employer. (c) A private employer may offer a voluntary veterans’ preference employment policy to all of the following: (1) A veteran who submits to the employer a copy of the veteran’s Department of Defense Form 214 or its successor form or record. (2) The spouse of a veteran who submits to the employer: a. A copy of the veteran’s Department of Defense Form 214 or its successor form or record; and b. Proof of marriage to the veteran. (3)a. A spouse of an active duty service member who submits to the employer proof of the service member’s active status and proof of marriage to the service member. b. Preference provided to a spouse of an active duty service member is limited to the time during which the service member remains on active duty and up to 180 days after the service member’s discharge or separation from service. (d)(1) A private employer that implements a voluntary veterans’ preference employment policy shall notify the Alabama Department of Workforce of the policy. The department shall use the information to maintain a registry of the private employers that have a voluntary veterans’ preference employment policy in the state, and shall make the registry available on the department’s website. (2) The department shall establish and maintain a page on the department’s website through which this information may be submitted to the department. (e) A voluntary veterans’ preference employment policy shall not be considered a violation of any state or local law.