Title: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance

Summary:
Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act of 2017 or the HIRE Vets Act
This bill directs the Department of Labor to establish a HIRE Vets Medallion Program to solicit voluntary information from employers for purposes of recognizing, by the award of a HIRE Vets Medallion, verified efforts by these employers to: (1) recruit, employ, and retain veterans; and (2) provide community and charitable services supporting the veteran community.
Labor shall annually: (1) solicit voluntary medallion applications from employers, and (2) review applications and present the President with a list of recipients.
The President shall annually present the medallion and corresponding certificate to recipients at a time to coincide with the annual commemoration of Veterans Day.
Labor shall begin soliciting applications by January 31, stop accepting applications not earlier than April 30, and finish application review by August 31. The President shall notify chosen applicants no later than October 11. Medallions shall be awarded in November.
Labor shall establish two levels of medallions for large and small employers, to be designated the Gold HIRE Vets Medallion and the Platinum HIRE Vets Medallion. The bill prescribes awards criteria.
A recipient: (1) may publicly display the medallion and certificate through the end of the calendar year, and (2) may not publicly display the award as part of any advertisement implying receipt of the award for any calendar year other than the one in which it was awarded.
The bill establishes the HIRE Vets Medallion Award Fund.
Labor may assess a reasonable medallion application fee and shall deposit such fees into the fund.
Beginning two years after enactment of this bill, Labor shall submit annual reports on fees, program costs, the number of applications, and the medallions awarded, including the name and medallion level of each recipient.
The bill excludes from the definition of "employer" the federal government, any state, or any foreign state.


[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 244 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 presidential awards to private sector 
      employers recognizing such efforts, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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''.

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 services supporting 
        the veteran community.
    (b) Application Process.--Beginning in the calendar year following 
the calendar year in which the Secretary establishes the program--
            (1) the Secretary shall annually--
                    (A) solicit and accept voluntary applications 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 recipients; 
                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 recipients;
                            (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 
                                designated a ``HIRE Vets Medallion 
                                Certificate''.
    (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 Secretary shall stop 
        accepting applications not earlier than April 30th of each 
        calendar year for the medallions 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 employers to receive HIRE 
        Vets Medallions not later than September 30th of each calendar 
        year for the medallions to be awarded in November of that 
        calendar year.
            (5) Notice to recipients.--The President shall notify 
        employers who will receive HIRE Vets Medallions not later than 
        October 11th of each calendar year for the medallions to be 
        awarded in November 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 determine 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 information 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 applicant should receive a HIRE Vets 
        Medallion or in determining the appropriate level of HIRE Vets 
        Medallion for that employer to receive.
    (b) Awards.--
            (1) Large employers.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary shall establish 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--
                            (i) veterans constitute not less than 7 
                        percent of all employees hired by such employer 
                        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 mentoring; 
                        and
                            (iii) such employer has established 
                        programs 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 employer 
                        during the prior calendar year;
                            (ii) such employer retains through the end 
                        of the prior calendar year not less than 85 
                        percent of veteran employees hired during the 
                        calendar year before the prior calendar 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 combination with 
                        the employee's active duty pay, to achieve a 
                        combined level of income commensurate with the 
                        employee's salary prior to undertaking active 
                        duty; and
                            (v) such employer has established a tuition 
                        assistance program to support veteran 
                        employees' attendance in postsecondary 
                        education during the term of their employment.
                    (D) Exemption for smaller employers.--An employer 
                shall be deemed to meet the requirements of 
                subparagraph (C)(iv) if such employer--
                            (i) employs 5,000 or fewer employees; and
                            (ii) employs at least one human resources 
                        professional whose regular work duties include 
                        those described under subparagraph (C)(iii).
                    (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 establish 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 Medallion may--
            (1) publicly display such medallion through the end of the 
        calendar year following receipt of such medallion; 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 Medallion, 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 
        medallion was issued to such employer through the HIRE Vets 
        Medallion Program.

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 Secretary 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 Medallion Award Fund 
shall be available, subject to appropriation, to the Secretary to carry 
out the HIRE Vets Medallion Program.

SEC. 6. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Reports.--Beginning not later than 2 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 Medallion 
        Program in the prior year;
            (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 reports required 
under subsection (a) to the Chairman and Ranking Member of--
            (1) the Committees on Education and the Workforce and 
        Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives; 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 meaning 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.
    (c) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given such term 
under section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
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