Legislation introduced by Nassau County Legislator Joshua A. Lafazan was approved unanimously by the County Legislature. Lafazan’s “Hiring our Heroes Act” will better support veterans and active-duty service members who seek to re-enter the workforce or advance their careers.
Under the proposal, which Lafazan first filed on Oct. 27, 2021, veterans and active-duty service members will be exempted from paying Nassau County civil service examination fees. Not only would the change remove financial obstacles to returning to the workforce, it is a change that would provide recognition of how veterans’ leadership, military experience and ability to perform under pressure makes them valuable candidates for public service.
The costs for application fees can be up to $200.
Nassau County is home to approximately 55,000 of the 19 million veterans currently residing in the United States. According to recent statistics, 581,000 of those veterans nationwide were unemployed in 2020 – a figure that has likely grown as a result of the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our commitment to our veterans does not end when they take off their uniform. This commitment is lifelong – it is enduring and it is ironclad,” Lafazan said. “We have to do better as a country, as a state, and as a county in serving our veterans, and that is why I was so proud to sponsor the Hiring our Heroes Act. I am thankful to my colleagues for their unanimous, bipartisan support.”
