Bill Would Protect Job Applicants Who Are in the Military

ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York human resources offices would no longer be allowed to ask prospective employees if they were in the National Guard or Reserves under one of several legislative proposals Gov. George Pataki and the Assembly's Republicans announced in early March, The Albany Business Review reported.

Collectively dubbed the "Patriot Plan," the legislative and administrative proposals are designed to guarantee the rights of New York's citizen soldiers and ease some of the financial burdens they sometimes incur because of their service, Pataki said.

The Plan includes the following proposals:

• Expanding the protections in the state's Human Rights Law to military personnel in regard to housing, employment and credit applications.
• Allowing reservists with vehicle leases to cancel those leases without penalty if they are deployed.
• Extending provisions of the federal Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act, which caps interest rates for long term installment loans paid by soldiers to 6 percent, to National Guard soldiers who are activated by the state, and not just the federal government.
• Free hunting and fishing licenses.
• Free admission to state parks for reserve and National Guard troops.
• Changes in state personnel rules that help reservists and National Guard members and a proposal which would allow the State Insurance Department to protect the rights of military personnel to continue, suspend or convert health insurance benefits while on active duty.

-- NYSSCPA.org News Staff

Posted on 03/26/03