Arizona Veterans Preference in Public Employment

ARS 38-492 sets the preference for an examination for employment "by this state or any political subdivision of this state under a merit system of employment", so it binds a county, a city or a district merit system as much as a state one. Five points go to a veteran separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after more than six months of active duty. A general discharge under honorable conditions meets those words. A veteran entitled to retired pay for non-regular service under 10 U.S.C. chapter 1223, or who would be but for age, also gets five points, but only for a political subdivision's merit system, not the State's. Ten points go to an "honorably separated" veteran, a phrase narrower on its face than the five-point test, who served on active duty at any time and has a service-connected disability or receives compensation or disability retirement benefits from VA or a service department. No minimum percentage is named, so a 10 percent rating reaches the higher tier. Ten points also go to a veteran who qualifies for the five points and is a person with a disability under the statute's own definition. No one gets more than ten. Five points go to the spouse or surviving spouse of a veteran who died of a service-connected disability, of a veteran with a total and permanent service-connected disability or who died while it existed, and of a service member listed for at least 90 days as missing in action, captured or detained. Points are added only to a passing grade. Where the employer assesses applicants without scores, it must give preference codes instead. Where a department runs under a federally prescribed merit system, the federal system's preference rules prevail. The preference has to be claimed on the application, with the DD-214 and, for the ten points or a spouse's claim, the VA letter. A county or city with its own merit rules may describe the preference more narrowly than the statute; the statute governs, and the county pages in this catalog note where a local rule differs. Arizona also runs veterans treatment courts, and the Department of Veterans' Services has benefit counselors across the state who assist with employment as well as claims.