The following modifications were made to the Veterans Preference Act, Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 197.46:

• Increased parity in Veterans employed by county, home rule charter or statutory city, town, school district, or other municipality or political subdivision and state-employed Veterans
• Hearing request changed from 60 to 30 days to request a hearing to contest a notice of dismissal
• Inclusion of the selection of an arbitrator from the MN Bureau of Mediation Services in place of a three-person panel. Important for those locations where no civil service board or commission or merit system authority exists
• The creation of a probationary period following initial hire (where Veteran is not eligible for Vets Preference protections) in ‘non-state government’ political subdivisions
• Language defining who pays costs and attorney’s fees:
  “For disputes heard by a civil service board, commission or merit system authority, or an arbitrator, the governmental subdivisions shall bear all costs associated with the hearing but not including attorney fees for attorneys representing the veteran. If the veteran prevails in a dispute heard by a civil service board, commission or merit system authority, or an arbitrator and the hearing reverses the level of the alleged incompetency or misconduct requiring discharge, the governmental subdivision shall pay the veteran's reasonable attorney fees.”