I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 244 
To encourage effective, voluntary private sector investments to recruit, employ, 
and retain men and women who have served in the United States military 
with annual presidential awards to private sector employers recognizing 
such efforts, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 4, 2017 
Mr. COOK (for himself and Ms. GABBARD) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To encourage effective, voluntary private sector investments 
to recruit, employ, and retain men and women who have 
served in the United States military with annual presi-
dential awards to private sector employers recognizing 
such efforts, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Honoring Investments 
in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans 
Act of 2017’’ or the ‘‘HIRE Vets Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. HIRE VETS MEDALLION PROGRAM. 
(a) PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Labor shall establish, by rule, a HIRE Vets Medallion 
Program to solicit voluntary information from employers 
for purposes of recognizing, by means of an award to be 
designated a ‘‘HIRE Vets Medallion’’, verified efforts by 
such employers— 
(1) to recruit, employ, and retain veterans; and 
(2) to provide community and charitable serv-
ices supporting the veteran community. 
(b) APPLICATION PROCESS.—Beginning in the cal-
endar year following the calendar year in which the Sec-
retary establishes the program— 
(1) the Secretary shall annually— 
(A) solicit and accept voluntary applica-
tions from employers in order to consider 
whether those employers should receive a HIRE 
Vets Medallion; 
(B) review applications received in each 
calendar year; and 
(C) provide to the President a list of re-
cipients; and 
(2) the President shall annually— 
(A) notify such recipients of their awards; 
and 
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(B) at a time to coincide with the annual 
commemoration of Veterans Day— 
(i) announce the names of such recipi-
ents; 
(ii) recognize such recipients through 
publication in the Federal Register; and 
(iii) issue to each such recipient— 
(I) a HIRE Vets Medallion of the 
level determined under section 3; and 
(II) a certificate stating that 
such employer is entitled to display 
such HIRE Vets Medallion during the 
following calendar year, to be des-
ignated a ‘‘HIRE Vets Medallion Cer-
tificate’’. 
(c) TIMING.— 
(1) SOLICITATION
PERIOD.—The Secretary 
shall solicit applications not later than January 31st 
of each calendar year for the medallions to be 
awarded in November of that calendar year. 
(2) END OF ACCEPTANCE PERIOD.—The Sec-
retary shall stop accepting applications not earlier 
than April 30th of each calendar year for the medal-
lions to be awarded in November of that calendar 
year. 
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(3) REVIEW PERIOD.—The Secretary shall fin-
ish reviewing applications not later than August 31st 
of each calendar year for the medallions to be 
awarded in November of that calendar year. 
(4) RECOMMENDATIONS TO PRESIDENT.—The 
Secretary shall provide to the President a list of em-
ployers to receive HIRE Vets Medallions not later 
than September 30th of each calendar year for the 
medallions to be awarded in November of that cal-
endar year. 
(5) NOTICE
TO
RECIPIENTS.—The President 
shall notify employers who will receive HIRE Vets 
Medallions not later than October 11th of each cal-
endar year for the medallions to be awarded in No-
vember of that calendar year. 
SEC. 3. SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS. 
(a) APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall review 
all applications received in a calendar year to deter-
mine whether an employer should receive a HIRE 
Vets Medallion, and, if so, of what level. 
(2) APPLICATION
CONTENTS.—The Secretary 
shall require that all applications provide informa-
tion on the programs and other efforts of applicant 
employers during the calendar year prior to that in 
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which the medallion is to be awarded, including the 
categories and activities governing the level of award 
for which the applicant is eligible under subsection 
(b). 
(3) VERIFICATION.—In reviewing applications, 
the Secretary shall verify all information provided in 
the applications, to the extent that such information 
is relevant in determining whether or not an appli-
cant should receive a HIRE Vets Medallion or in de-
termining the appropriate level of HIRE Vets Me-
dallion for that employer to receive. 
(b) AWARDS.— 
(1) LARGE EMPLOYERS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish two levels of HIRE Vets Medallions to 
be awarded to employers employing 500 or 
more employees, to be designated the ‘‘Gold 
HIRE Vets Medallion’’ and the ‘‘Platinum 
HIRE Vets Medallion’’. 
(B) GOLD
HIRE
VETS
MEDALLION.—No 
employer shall be eligible to receive a Gold 
HIRE Vets Medallion in a given calendar year 
unless— 
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