Area 8 Virginia Workforce Centers Policy on Priority of Services for Veterans and Eligible Spouses of Veterans

The Jobs for Veterans Act calls for priority of service for Covered person for DOL-funded programs.   A covered person is defined below and is entitled to and must be given priority of service over non-covered persons for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services if the person otherwise meets the eligibility requirements of a particular program.  
The term ‘covered person’ includes anyone who is a veteran.   The term ‘covered person’ also includes spouses of veterans:
Veteran status is determined from the answers to some key questions:

1. “Did the individual serve on active duty in the U.S. Armed Services?”
2. “Is the individual still in the Armed Forces?”
3. “Finally, what type of discharge did the individual receive?”

Note:  Any discharge that is not dishonorable qualifies the individual as a veteran who is entitling to priority of service.
An “eligible spouse” means a spouse of any of the following:

1. A spouse of any veteran who died of a service connected disability.
2. A spouse of any member of the Armed Forces serving on active duty who, at the time of application fir the priority, is listed in one or more of the following categories and has been so listed for a total of more than 90 days:
3. Missing in Action;
4. Captured in the line of duty by a hostile force; or
5. Forcibly detained or interned in the line of duty by a foreign government of power.
6. A spouse of any veteran who has a total disability resulting from service connected disability; or
7. A spouse of any veteran who died while a disability was in existence.

Note:   A spouse whose eligibility is derived from a living veteran or service member would lose his or her eligibility if the veteran or service member was to lose the status that is the basis for the eligibility (e.g. if a veteran with a total service-connected disability were to receive a revised disability rating at a lower level).  Similarly, a spouse whose eligibility is derived from a living veteran or service member would lose that eligibility upon divorce from the veteran or service member.  However, a spouse who qualifies under categories a. or d. would not lose covered status through subsequent remarriage.

For programs that have existing statutory priorities that target certain groups, such as WIA Adult and Youth programs, DRS Services for persons with disabilities, Title V Older Workers, and veteran’s priority is applied to covered persons that meet program criteria.   Thus, an individual meeting both the veterans and Partners program requirements would receive the highest priority over a non-covered person satisfying the Priority of Services to Veterans requirements.