IB 
Union Calendar No. 547 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3286 
[Report No. 114–708] 
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 
JULY 29, 2015 
Mr. COOK (for himself and Ms. GABBARD) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 
Additional sponsors: Ms. GRAHAM, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. NUNES, 
Mr. HONDA, Mr. HURD of Texas, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. KUSTER, Mr. 
PETERS, Mr. COSTA, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. RUIZ, Mr. HUNTER, Ms. ESTY, 
and Mr. POMPEO 
SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July 29, 2015] 
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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. 
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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 2016’’ or the ‘‘HIRE Vets Act’’. 
SEC. 2. HIRE VETS MEDALLION PROGRAM. 
(a) PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.—Not later than one year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Labor shall establish, by rule, a HIRE Vets Medallion Pro-
gram to solicit voluntary information from employers for 
purposes of recognizing, by means of an award to be des-
ignated a ‘‘HIRE Vets Medallion’’, verified efforts by such 
employers— 
(1) to recruit, employ, and retain veterans; and 
(2) to provide community and charitable services 
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 wheth-
er those employers should receive a HIRE Vets 
Medallion; 
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(B) review applications received in each 
calendar year; and 
(C) provide to the President a list of recipi-
ents; and 
(2) the President shall annually— 
(A) notify such recipients of their awards; 
and 
(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 fol-
lowing calendar year, to be designated 
a ‘‘HIRE Vets Medallion Certificate’’. 
(c) TIMING.— 
(1) SOLICITATION PERIOD.—The Secretary shall 
solicit applications not later than January 31st of 
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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. 
(3) REVIEW PERIOD.—The Secretary shall finish 
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.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall review all 
applications received in a calendar year to determine 
whether an employer should receive a HIRE Vets Me-
dallion, 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 
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 Medal-
lion 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 
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Medallion’’ and the ‘‘Platinum HIRE Vets Me-
dallion’’. 
(B) GOLD HIRE VETS MEDALLION.—No em-
ployer shall be eligible to receive a Gold HIRE 
Vets Medallion in a given calendar year unless— 
(i) veterans constitute not less than 7 
percent of all employees hired by such em-
ployer during the prior calendar year; 
(ii) such employer has established an 
employee veteran organization or resource 
group to assist new veteran employees with 
integration, including coaching and men-
toring; and 
(iii) such employer has established pro-
grams to enhance the leadership skills of 
veteran employees during their employment. 
(C) PLATINUM HIRE VETS MEDALLION.—No 
employer shall be eligible to receive a Platinum 
HIRE Vets Medallion in a given calendar year 
unless— 
(i) veterans constitute not less than 10 
percent of all employees hired by such em-
ployer during the prior calendar year; 
(ii) such employer retains through the 
end of the prior calendar year not less than 
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85 percent of veteran employees hired dur-
ing the calendar year before the prior cal-
endar year; 
(iii) such employer employs dedicated 
human resources professionals to support 
hiring and retention of veteran employees, 
including efforts focused on veteran hiring 
and training; 
(iv) such employer provides each of its 
employees serving on active duty in the 
United States National Guard or Reserve 
with compensation sufficient, in combina-
tion with the employee’s active duty pay, to 
achieve a combined level of income commen-
surate with the employee’s salary prior to 
undertaking active duty; and 
(v) such employer has established a 
tuition assistance program to support vet-
eran employees’ attendance in postsec-
ondary education during the term of their 
employment. 
(D) EXEMPTION
FOR
SMALLER
EMPLOY-
ERS.—An employer shall be deemed to meet the 
requirements of subparagraph (E)(iv) if such 
employer— 
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(i) employs 5,000 or fewer employees; 
and 
(ii) employs at least one human re-
sources professional whose regular work du-
ties include those described under subpara-
graph (E)(iv). 
(E) ADDITIONAL CRITERIA.—The Secretary 
may provide, by rule, additional criteria with 
which to determine qualifications for receipt of 
each level of HIRE Vets Medallion. 
(2) SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SIZED EMPLOYERS.— 
The Secretary shall establish similar awards in order 
to recognize achievements in supporting veterans by— 
(A) employers with 50 or fewer employees; 
and 
(B) employers with more than 50 but fewer 
than 500 employees. 
(c) DESIGN BY SECRETARY.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish the shape, form, and metallic content of each HIRE 
Vets Medallion. 
SEC. 4. DISPLAY OF AWARD. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The recipient of a HIRE Vets Me-
dallion may— 
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(1) publicly display such medallion through the 
end of the calendar year following receipt of such me-
dallion; and 
(2) publicly display the HIRE Vets Medallion 
Certificate issued in conjunction with such medallion. 
(b) UNLAWFUL DISPLAY PROHIBITED.—It is unlawful 
for any employer to publicly display a HIRE Vets Medal-
lion, in connection with, or as a part of, any advertisement, 
solicitation, business activity, or product— 
(1) for the purpose of conveying, or in a manner 
reasonably calculated to convey, a false impression 
that the employer received the medallion through the 
HIRE Vets Medallion Program, if such employer did 
not receive such medallion through the HIRE Vets 
Medallion Program; or 
(2) for the purpose of conveying, or in a manner 
reasonably calculated to convey, a false impression 
that the employer received the medallion through the 
HIRE Vets Medallion Program during the preceding 
calendar year if it is after the end of the calendar 
year following the calendar year in which such me-
dallion was issued to such employer through the 
HIRE Vets Medallion Program. 
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SEC. 5. APPLICATION FEE AND FUNDING. 
(a) FUND ESTABLISHED.—There is established in the 
Treasury of the United States a fund to be designated the 
‘‘HIRE Vets Medallion Award Fund’’. 
(b) FEE AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary may assess a 
reasonable fee on employers that apply for receipt of a 
HIRE Vets Medallion and the Secretary shall deposit such 
fees into the HIRE Vets Medallion Award Fund. The Sec-
retary shall establish the amount of the fee such that the 
amounts collected as fees and deposited into the Fund are 
sufficient to cover the costs associated with carrying out this 
Act. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Amounts in the HIRE Vets Me-
dallion Award Fund shall be available, without further ap-
propriation, to the Secretary to carry out the HIRE Vets 
Medallion Program. 
SEC. 6. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
(a) REPORTS.—Beginning not later than two years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress annual reports on— 
(1) the fees collected from applicants for HIRE 
Vets Medallions in the prior year and any changes in 
fees to be proposed in the present year; 
(2) the cost of administering the HIRE Vets Me-
dallion Program in the prior year; 
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(3) the number of applications for HIRE Vets 
Medallions received in the prior year; and 
(4) the HIRE Vets Medallions awarded in the 
prior year, including the name of each employer to 
whom a HIRE Vets Medallion was awarded and the 
level of medallion awarded to each such employer. 
(b) COMMITTEES.—The Secretary shall provide the re-
ports required under subsection (a) to the Chairman and 
Ranking Member of— 
(1) the Committees on Education and the Work-
force and Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Represent-
atives; and 
(2) the Committees on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions and Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate. 
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(a) EMPLOYER.—The term ‘‘employer’’ has the mean-
ing given such term under section 4303 of title 38, United 
States Code, except that such term does not include— 
(1) the Federal Government; 
(2) any State, as defined in such section; or 
(3) any foreign state. 
(b) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the 
Secretary of Labor. 
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(c) VETERAN.—The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the meaning 
given such term under section 101 of title 38, United States 
Code. 
SEC. 8. LIMITATION ON AWARDS AND BONUSES PAID TO 
SENIOR EXECUTIVE EMPLOYEES OF DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
Section 705 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Ac-
countability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–146; 38 U.S.C. 
703 note) is amended by striking the period at the end and 
inserting the following: , ‘‘of which, during fiscal year 2016, 
not more than an aggregate amount of $2,000,000 may be 
paid to employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
who are members of the Senior Executive Service.’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 547 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3286 
[Report No. 114–708] 
A BILL 
To encourage effective, voluntary private sector in-
vestments to recruit, employ, and retain men and 
women who have served in the United States 
military with annual presidential awards to pri-
vate sector employers recognizing such efforts, 
and for other purposes. 
SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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