In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

      (a)    Ensuring equal opportunities. See Wisconsin Statutes 230.03

Agency: means any board, commission, committee, council, or department in state government or a unit thereof created by the constitution or statutes if such board, commission, committee, council, department, unit, or the head thereof, is authorized to appoint subordinate staff by the constitution or statute, except the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, a legislative or judicial board, commission, committee, council, department, or unit thereof or an authority created under subch. See Wisconsin Statutes 230.03

Bureau: means the bureau of merit recruitment and selection in the division. See Wisconsin Statutes 230.03

Civil service: means all offices and positions of trust or employment in the service of the state, except offices and positions in the organized militia and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. See Wisconsin Statutes 230.03

Classified service: means the classified service of the civil service. See Wisconsin Statutes 230.03

Commission: means the employment relations commission. See Wisconsin Statutes 230.03

Director: means the director of the bureau. See Wisconsin Statutes 230.03

Division: means the division of personnel management in the department of administration. See Wisconsin Statutes 230.03

Division of equal rights: means the division of equal rights in the department of workforce development. See Wisconsin Statutes 230.03

Following: when used by way of reference to any statute section, means the section next following that in which the reference is made. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01

Minor: means a person who has not attained the age of 18 years, except that for purposes of investigating or prosecuting a person who is alleged to have violated a state or federal criminal law or any civil law or municipal ordinance, "minor" does not include a person who has attained the age of 17 years. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01

Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.

Person: includes all partnerships, associations and bodies politic or corporate. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01

Preceding: when used by way of reference to any statute section, means the section next preceding that in which the reference is made. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01

State: when applied to states of the United States, includes the District of Columbia, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the several territories organized by Congress. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01

Statute: A law passed by a legislature.

Unclassified service: means the unclassified service of the civil service. See Wisconsin Statutes 230.03

veteran: means any of the following:

      (a)    A person who served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U. See Wisconsin Statutes 230.03

Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed; "year" alone means "year of our Lord". See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01

   (1)   “Administrator” means the administrator of the division.

   (2)   “Affirmative action” means specific actions in employment which are designed and taken for the purposes of all of the following:

      (a)    Ensuring equal opportunities.

      (b)    Eliminating a substantial disparity between the proportion of members of racial and ethnic, gender or disabled groups either in job groups within the classified civil service, or in similar functional groups in the unclassified service, and the proportion of members of racial and ethnic, gender or disabled groups in the relevant labor pool.

      (c)    Eliminating present effects of past discrimination.

   (3)   “Agency” means any board, commission, committee, council, or department in state government or a unit thereof created by the constitution or statutes if such board, commission, committee, council, department, unit, or the head thereof, is authorized to appoint subordinate staff by the constitution or statute, except the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, a legislative or judicial board, commission, committee, council, department, or unit thereof or an authority created under subch. II of ch. 114 or under ch. 231, 232, 233, 234, 237, 238, or 279. “Agency” does not mean any local unit of government or body within one or more local units of government that is created by law or by action of one or more local units of government.

   (4)   Except as provided in s. 230.80 (1m), “appointing authority” means the chief administrative officer of an agency unless another person is authorized to appoint subordinate staff in the agency by the constitution or statutes.

   (5)   “Bureau” means the bureau of merit recruitment and selection in the division.

   (6)   “Civil service” means all offices and positions of trust or employment in the service of the state, except offices and positions in the organized militia and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

   (6m)   “Classified service” means the classified service of the civil service.

   (7)   “Collective bargaining agreement”, ” collective bargaining unit” and other terms relating to collective bargaining for state employees have the meaning set forth for such terms under subch. V of ch. 111.

   (8)   “Commission” means the employment relations commission.

   (9e)   “Director” means the director of the bureau.

   (9m)   “Disabled veteran” means a veteran who has a service-connected disability.

   (10)   “Division” means the division of personnel management in the department of administration.

   (10e)   “Division of equal rights” means the division of equal rights in the department of workforce development.

   (10h)   “Employee” or “state employee” means an employee of an agency.

   (10m)   “Gender group,” when used in connection with affirmative action under this chapter, does not include groups discriminated against because of sexual orientation, as defined in s. 111.32 (13m).

   (10r)   “Job group” means a set of classifications combined by the office on the basis of similarity in responsibility, pay range and nature of work.

   (11)   “Position” means a group of duties and responsibilities in either the classified or the unclassified divisions of the civil service, which require the services of an employee on a part-time or full-time basis.

   (12)   “Resident of this state” means a person who, on the date an application under s. 230.16 (1) is filed:

      (a)    Has established a residence, as defined in s. 6.10 (1), in this state not less than 10 days earlier;

      (b)    Has resided in this state for not less than a total of one year out of the immediately preceding 5 years;

      (c)    Is eligible to register to vote in this state; or

      (d)    Is the spouse or minor child of a person meeting the requirements of par. (a), (b) or (c).

   (13)   “Unclassified service” means the unclassified service of the civil service.

   (14)   Except as provided in s. 230.16 (7m), “veteran” means any of the following:

      (a)    A person who served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces and who was entitled to receive any of the following:

         1.    The armed forces expeditionary medal established by executive order 10977 on December 4, 1961.

         2.    The Vietnam service medal established by executive order 11231 on July 8, 1965.

         3.    The navy expeditionary medal.

         4.    The marine corps expeditionary medal.

      (b)    A person who served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces in a crisis zone, as defined in s. 45.01 (11).

      (c)    A person who served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces for at least one day during a war period, as defined in s. 45.01 (13) or under section 1 of executive order 10957 dated August 10, 1961.

      (d)    A person who served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces for 2 continuous years or more or the full period of the person’s initial service obligation, whichever is less. A person discharged from the U.S. armed forces for reasons of hardship or a service-connected disability or a person released due to a reduction in the U.S. armed forces prior to the completion of the required period of service shall also be considered a “veteran”, regardless of the actual time served.