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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From Bonnie O’Day, Legislative Committee<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:bonnoday@gmail.com"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>bonnoday@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>Hi Virginia Federationists,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>HB710, a law which promotes hiring of people with disabilities by localities throughout Virginia, was signed into law by Governor Younkin and took effect on July 1, 2022. Thanks to your advocacy, the bill passed unanimously in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly. This is an outstanding accomplishment for our affiliate which will positively impact individuals across the Commonwealth. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>The new law gives people with disabilities applying for jobs in local government the same hiring preference currently enjoyed by veterans. The new law has no specifics as to how it should be implemented and no enforcement mechanism. It is quite likely that local hiring officials will be unaware of this legislation and that it will be implemented differently in each locale, so your input will be very important. You may wish to contact your local human resources department to inform them about the new legislation and ask how it will be implemented. You might start by asking how the existing veterans’ preference is implemented and suggest modeling the disability preference similarly. You might suggest including disability status in their affirmative action plans, reviewing job descriptions to ensure they do not inadvertently screen out people with disabilities, increasing their outreach to disability organizations, and ensuring that qualified people with disabilities are interviewed. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>You may want to contact other disability organizations in your area to inform them about the new law. Many counties and cities have a Disability Services Board, a Commission on Disability, or other similar body that advises City or County leadership about policies impacting people with disabilities. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>We encourage our chapters to add this to your agenda for discussion at Fall meetings and define an organized outreach plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>If you hear of any success stories such as people who have been hired because of this law, please let us know. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Bonnie O’Day, Virginia Legislative Chair at </span><a href="mailto:bonnoday@gmail.com"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>bonnoday@gmail.com</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>. You may also contact Michael Beattie at </span><a href="mailto:michaelbeattie@yaho.com"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>michaelbeattie@yaho.com</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>