Chapter 283: Preference of Resident Laborers and Veterans

I. State, county, or municipal agency shall mean any board, commission, department, officer, agency, or agent of the state or of any county, city, town or political division thereof charged with the duty of making contracts therefor.

II. Contract shall mean any contract for the construction, maintenance, repair, or demolition of any road, bridge, building, public work, project, or any portion of the same, wherein federal funds are not used in whole or in part.

III. Contractor shall include any person, firm, association, or corporation.

I. In public employment of clerks, office help, mechanics, laborers, inspectors, supervisors, foremen, janitors, peace officers, and relief employees in the construction of public works, public projects and in the conduct of city, town or district departments by a county, city, town, or district, or by persons contracting therewith for such construction, carrying out of relief projects and in the conduct of city, town, or district departments, preference shall be given to citizens of the state who have served in the armed forces of the United States, for not less than 90 days, in times of war, and meet the definition of "veteran" in RSA 21:50, if equally qualified for said employment and if registered in accordance with the provisions of RSA 283:7. Where such employment is obtained from relief rolls or for persons in need, in cases of equal or greater need preference shall be given to such veterans.

II. When the state is the employer, preference in hiring shall be given to a veteran, as defined in RSA 21:50, if a veteran is one of multiple candidates who are otherwise equally qualified.

The employment preferences provided for veterans under the provisions of RSA 283:4 are extended to include any unremarried widow whose husband at the time of his death was a citizen of this state and who served in the armed forces of the United States during any war in which the United States has been engaged, and also to any wife of a totally disabled veteran who is a citizen of the state and who served in the armed forces of the United States during any war in which the United States has been engaged.

The hiring authority of the state or any political subdivision thereof shall take any necessary action to secure the employment of said veterans in said service of the state or political subdivisions thereof respectively.

Veterans, in order to be entitled to preference under this subdivision, shall furnish proof of such entitlement to the hiring authority of the state or political subdivision when applying for employment.

For the purposes of this chapter:

I. The term "armed forces" shall include those forces listed in RSA 72:28, IV.

II. The terms "in time of war" and "during any war" shall include all the terms used in RSA 72:28, V.

Any person who violates any provision of this subdivision shall be guilty of a violation if a natural person, or guilty of a misdemeanor if any other person.