Bill to allow honorably discharged noncitizen veterans who are work-authorized to apply for peace-officer jobs draws emotional testimony

Sen. Edgar Flores presented Senate Bill 155 to the Senate Committee on Government Affairs to permit non-U.S. citizens who were honorably discharged from the U.S. military and are lawfully authorized to work in the United States to apply to become peace officers.

Flores described the bill as narrowly tailored and noted an amendment he said had narrowed its scope. ‘‘What Senate Bill 155 looks to do is allow for non U. S. Citizens who have been honorably discharged from the U. S. Military and are lawfully authorized to work in this country to apply to be members of law enforcement,’’ he told the committee.

Assemblyman Ruben Da Silva, an Army veteran who testified in support, recounted serving in Iraq as a green-card holder and being wounded in combat before obtaining U.S. citizenship. ‘‘While I was in Iraq, I was handling sensitive intelligence data,’’ he said, describing background and security responsibilities he performed as a noncitizen service member.

Flores and supporters said applicants captured by the bill would have already undergone Department of Homeland Security vetting and military background checks; Flores argued that such applicants would, in many cases, have undergone more extensive checks than some other applicants. Flores also emphasized that agencies retain discretion and can deny applicants who do not meet background or training requirements.

Supporters from immigrant and veteran communities told the committee the change would expand a natural career pathway for honorably discharged service members. Isaac Velasquez, testifying from Virginia as a reservist attending training, said lengthy naturalization timelines can delay veterans’ ability to enter local service careers such as policing and that the bill would enable earlier transition for qualified individuals.

The Nevada Sheriffs and Chiefs Association testified in opposition, citing concerns about establishing good moral character when background information from overseas or prior life stages may be hard to obtain. The association’s witness, Jason Woodard, said a complete background investigation is required under the Peace Officers Bill of Rights and that gaps in accessible records can challenge investigators.

Other law-enforcement representatives testified against or in opposition, citing difficulty completing in-depth background checks when parts of an individual’s history are not accessible to investigators.

Committee members asked for follow-up information about existing statutory language and local hiring practice. Several senators noted statutory passages that appear to allow honorably discharged noncitizens to be employed as officers; witnesses said they would follow up and provide clarifying information to the committee.

No vote was taken at the hearing. The measure remains before the committee pending further information about background-investigation procedures and any technical refinements.