This bill amends existing state law by changing RCW 41.04.010 and RCW 73.04.005 to allow an applicant to claim veterans’ scoring preference in competitive examinations at one of three points: upon release from active military service with a qualifying discharge, upon receipt of official discharge paperwork (for example DD Form 214 or equivalent) that characterizes the discharge as qualifying, or upon submission of a predischarge certification that meets specified conditions. It defines a "predischarge certification" as a written statement from a branch of service stating the expected discharge date and expected characterization of service. The change is primarily procedural: it creates a new method of proving eligibility for initial appointment preference (predischarge certification) and sets limits and administrative processes for its use. A predischarge certification must be issued no more than 120 days before submission; the individual must provide official discharge paperwork within 30 days after discharge (with at least one 15-day extension if the paperwork is not timely), and agencies may rescind appointments or benefits granted solely on a predischarge certification if documentation is not provided after the extension. Agencies must adopt written procedures to verify the certification’s stated characterization and discharge date, to track receipt of official documents, to confirm appointments only upon receipt of official discharge papers, and to give notice and an opportunity to be heard before taking adverse action based on discrepancies between a predischarge certification and official discharge documents. The bill also specifies that predischarge certifications may not be used to establish retention or layoff preference unless official discharge documentation is later submitted. The bill also amends the statutory definition of a "qualifying discharge" to include service characterized as honorable or general under honorable conditions; an other-than-honorable discharge if the applicant has VA documentation showing eligibility for or receipt of certain monetary benefits; and any characterization of discharge where the stated reason was solely related to a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, or statements or consensual conduct related to those characteristics, or disclosure of such matters to military officials. Affected entities include state and local agencies and contractors that administer competitive examinations or veterans’ preferences, military branches as issuers of predischarge certifications, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a source of benefit documentation. Important context is missing: the bill text refers to other RCW definitions not provided here, it states a new section is being created without showing exact codification, and no effective date or fiscal information is included in the extracted material.

If enacted, people still on active duty could claim Washington civil service veterans' scoring preference before their official discharge by submitting a predischarge certification issued no more than 120 days earlier, but hiring agencies must receive the official discharge paperwork (for example a DD214 or equivalent) within 30 days after the actual discharge or give at least 15 more days; if the paperwork is never provided, agencies may rescind any appointment or benefit that was granted only on the basis of the predischarge certification. The bill also broadens which discharges count as "qualifying" for preference (including some other-than-honorable discharges if the veteran receives VA benefits, and discharges tied solely to sexual orientation or gender identity), and it prevents use of a predischarge certification to claim layoff or retention preference until official discharge documents are provided. State agencies, local governments, and private contractors who run competitive exams will face new administrative responsibilities and modest risk: they must create written procedures to verify and track predischarge certifications and official discharge documents, confirm appointments only after receiving official papers, and provide notice and an opportunity to be heard before taking adverse action if the official paperwork differs from the certification. Military branches will need to issue the predischarge certifications and the Department of Veterans Affairs may be asked to provide benefit eligibility records; the text does not include an effective date or any fiscal estimates, and some definitions referenced in other statutes are not included here, leaving some implementation details uncertain.