Adding veterans and military status to Human Rights Act breezes through committee

A four-word addition could provide extra security for those who protect or have protected us.

As amended, HF3540 would add “veteran and military status” to the list of protected classes under the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

“Last year, I received a couple phone calls from people in the state that were having issues with their employment and housing due to the veteran status. It was clear discrimination because they were veterans,” Rep. Matt Bliss (R-Pennington) told the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division Wednesday.

“I think it’s really needed that we recognize veterans in this way,” said Bliss, who co-chairs the division that approved the bill and sent it to the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee.

The change would help veterans in things like education, employment, property purchases and places of public accommodations. 

The bill defines veteran and military status as “a member of the armed forces, including active and reserve components of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard and the National Guard of a state, or a military veteran as defined in United States Code, title 38, section 101, et seq., or veteran of the Secret War in Laos.”

“This is a great addition to the existing ecosystem of support for veterans and those still currently serving,” said Jon Kelly, director of government affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

He said five other states have added veteran or military status as a protected class in state-level non-discrimination statutes: California, Massachusetts, Ohio, Virginia and Washington.

Further, he noted, “Minnesota State added veteran status to their equal opportunity nondiscrimination in employment and education policy in June of 2022.”