Georgia Veterans Preference in State Employment

State Personnel Board rule 478-1-.18 gives veterans a preference in certain state employment decisions. On a numerically scored written entrance exam, the rule adds ten points to an earned passing rating, instead of the five points in subsection (2)(a), for a veteran who proves a present service-connected disability of at least 10% as VA rates and certifies it. The same ten points cover a veteran over 55 who is entitled to pension or compensation because of a disability, whether or not that disability is service-connected, and the spouses the rule names in that subsection. Subsection (2)(a) is the five-point class. The rule adds those five points to a passing score for the veterans that subsection covers. Where the agency does not use a scored written exam, it has to give appropriate consideration to a preference-eligible person whose qualifications are equivalent to those of the most suitable non-veteran applicant. The agency does not have to hire a preference-eligible veteran who is not the most suitable applicant. Preference does not apply to a promotion, a demotion, or a transfer to a different job. People who served in a civilian capacity do not receive it. A 10% rating is one path into the ten-point class. It is not the only path, so the rating filter does not hide this benefit.