[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2263 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2263

    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 Federal awards to private sector employers 
         recognizing such investments, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 10, 2015

Mr. Blunt (for himself and Mr. Manchin) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 Federal awards to private sector employers 
         recognizing such investments, 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 2015'' 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 Award'', 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, the 
Secretary shall annually--
            (1) solicit and accept voluntary applications from 
        employers in order to consider whether those employers should 
        receive a HIRE Vets Medallion Award;
            (2) review applications received in each calendar year;
            (3) notify the recipients of the awards; and
            (4) at a time to coincide with the annual commemoration of 
        Veterans Day--
                    (A) announce the names of such recipients;
                    (B) recognize such recipients through publication 
                in the Federal Register; and
                    (C) issue to each such recipient a HIRE Vets 
                Medallion Award of the level determined under section 
                3, in the form of a certificate, to be designated a 
                ``HIRE Vets Medallion Certificate'', which shall state 
                that the employer is entitled to publicly display such 
                Award as desired.
    (c) Timing.--
            (1) Solicitation period.--The Secretary shall solicit 
        applications not later than January 31st of each calendar year 
        for the medallion awards to be awarded in November of that 
        calendar year.
            (2) End of acceptance period.--The Secretary shall stop 
        accepting the applications not earlier than April 30th of each 
        calendar year for the medallion awards to be awarded in 
        November of that calendar year.
            (3) Review period.--The Secretary shall finish reviewing 
        the applications, as described in section 3(a), not later than 
        August 31st of each calendar year for the medallion awards to 
        be awarded in November of that calendar year.
            (4) Determinations by secretary.--The Secretary shall 
        determine a list of employers to receive HIRE Vets Medallion 
        Awards not later than September 30th of each calendar year for 
        the medallion awards to be awarded in November of that calendar 
        year.
            (5) Notice to recipients.--The Secretary shall notify 
        employers who will receive HIRE Vets Medallion Awards not later 
        than October 11th of each calendar year for the medallion 
        awards to be awarded in November of that calendar year.

SEC. 3. SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS.

    (a) Application Review Process.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall, directly or by 
        contract, review all applications received in a calendar year 
        in accordance with section 2(c) to determine whether an 
        employer should receive a HIRE Vets Medallion Award, 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 
        previous to that in which the medallion award is to be awarded, 
        including information concerning the number of employees of the 
        applicant involved and activities governing the level of award 
        for which the applicant is eligible under subsection (b). The 
        Secretary shall require that each application contain a 
        certification, signed by the senior executive responsible for 
        employee hiring, that the employer has met the criteria 
        described in subsection (b) for a particular level of medallion 
        award.
    (b) Awards.--
            (1) Large employers.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary shall establish 3 
                levels of HIRE Vets Medallion Awards to be awarded to 
                employers employing 500 or more employees, to be 
                designated the ``Bronze HIRE Vets Medallion Award'', 
                the ``Silver HIRE Vets Medallion Award'', and the 
                ``Gold HIRE Vets Medallion Award''.
                    (B) Bronze hire vets medallion award.--No employer 
                shall be eligible to receive a Bronze HIRE Vets 
                Medallion Award in a given calendar year unless--
                            (i)(I) veterans constitute not less than 5 
                        percent of all employees hired by such employer 
                        during the previous calendar year; or
                            (II) veterans constitute not less than 7 
                        percent of the employer's total workforce;
                            (ii) such employer provides charitable 
                        contributions to veteran support organizations;
                            (iii) such employer retains through the end 
                        of that previous calendar year not less than 75 
                        percent of veteran employees hired during the 
                        calendar year prior to the previous calendar 
                        year (unless that prior calendar year began 
                        more than 1 year before the first year in which 
                        the Secretary solicited applications under 
                        section 2(b)(1)); and
                            (iv) such employer provides a targeted 
                        training program for new veteran employees.
                    (C) Silver hire vets medallion award.--No employer 
                shall be eligible to receive a Silver HIRE Vets 
                Medallion Award in a given calendar year unless--
                            (i) such employer is eligible to receive a 
                        Bronze HIRE Vets Medallion Award in such year;
                            (ii)(I) veterans constitute not less than 7 
                        percent of all employees hired by such employer 
                        during the previous calendar year; or
                            (II) veterans constitute not less than 10 
                        percent of the employer's total workforce;
                            (iii) such employer has established an 
                        employee veteran organization or resource group 
                        to assist new veteran employees with 
                        integration, including providing coaching and 
                        mentoring; and
                            (iv) such employer has established a 
                        program to enhance the leadership skills of 
                        veteran employees, to promote their upward 
                        mobility during their employment.
                    (D) Gold hire vets medallion award.--No employer 
                shall be eligible to receive a Gold HIRE Vets Medallion 
                Award in a given calendar year unless--
                            (i) such employer is eligible to receive a 
                        Silver HIRE Vets Medallion Award in such year;
                            (ii)(I) veterans constitute not less than 
                        10 percent of all employees hired by such 
                        employer during the previous calendar year; or
                            (II) veterans constitute not less than 15 
                        percent of the employers total workforce;
                            (iii) such employer retains through the end 
                        of that previous calendar year not less than 85 
                        percent of veteran employees hired during the 
                        calendar year prior to the previous calendar 
                        year (unless that prior calendar year began 
                        more than 1 year before the first year in which 
                        the Secretary solicited applications under 
                        section 2(b)(1));
                            (iv) such employer employs a dedicated 
                        human resources professional to support hiring 
                        and retention of veteran employees, including 
                        undertaking efforts focused on veteran hiring 
                        and training;
                            (v) such employer provides each of its 
                        employees, who is a member of a reserve 
                        component of the Armed Forces serving on active 
                        duty, with compensation sufficient, in 
                        combination with the employee's basic pay in 
                        connection with service on active duty in the 
                        Armed Forces, to achieve a combined level of 
                        income commensurate with the employee's 
                        compensation prior to undertaking active duty; 
                        and
                            (vi) such employer has established a 
                        tuition assistance program to support veteran 
                        employees' attendance at an institution of 
                        higher education during the term of their 
                        employment.
                    (E) Exemption for smaller employers.--An employer 
                shall be deemed to meet the requirements of 
                subparagraph (D)(iv) if such employer--
                            (i) employs 5,000 or fewer employees; and
                            (ii) employs at least one human resources 
                        professional whose primary work duties include 
                        those described under subparagraph (D)(iv).
                    (F) Additional criteria.--The Secretary may 
                provide, by rule, additional criteria with which to 
                determine qualifications for receipt of each level of 
                HIRE Vets Medallion Award. If the Secretary provides 
                for the additional criteria, the employer shall include 
                information on the criteria in the application 
                described in subsection (a)(2), and the Secretary shall 
                determine eligibility for such an award on the basis of 
                those criteria and the other criteria specified in this 
                paragraph.
            (2) Small and medium-size employers.--The Secretary shall 
        establish similar criteria for Bronze, Silver, and Gold Hire 
        Vets Medallion 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.--
            (1) In general.--Except as described in paragraph (2), the 
        Secretary shall establish the shape, form, and design of each 
        HIRE Vets Medallion Award.
            (2) Requirements.--The award shall be in the form of a 
        certificate. The award shall state the year for which it is 
        awarded.

SEC. 4. DISPLAY OF AWARD.

    (a) In General.--The recipient of a HIRE Vets Medallion Award may 
publicly display such medallion award as desired.
    (b) Unlawful Display Prohibited.--It is unlawful for any employer 
to publicly display a HIRE Vets Medallion Award if such employer did 
not receive such medallion award through the HIRE Vets Medallion 
Program.

SEC. 5. APPLICATION FEE AND FUNDING.

    (a) Fee Authorized.--The Secretary may assess a reasonable fee on 
employers that apply for receipt of a HIRE Vets Medallion Award.
    (b) Fund Established.--There is established in the Treasury of the 
United States a separate account for the deposit of fees collected 
under subsection (a), to be designated the ``HIRE Vets Medallion 
Fund''.
    (c) Deposit.--The Secretary shall deposit any fees collected 
pursuant to subsection (a) into the HIRE Vets Medallion Fund.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) Sources of appropriations.--
                    (A) First 2 years.--There are authorized to be 
                appropriated for the first 2 fiscal years in which 
                applications are to be solicited under section 2(b) 
                such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act in 
                such fiscal years.
                    (B) Years following applications.--Amounts in the 
                HIRE Vets Medallion Fund shall be available, to the 
                extent provided in appropriations Acts, for each fiscal 
                year following a prior fiscal year in which fees are 
                collected under subsection (a).
            (2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to 
        paragraph (1) are authorized to remain available until 
        expended.
            (3) Use.--Amounts in the Fund shall be available, as 
        provided in appropriation Acts pursuant to paragraph (1), for 
        carrying out this Act.

SEC. 6. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Reports.--Beginning not later than 2 years after the date of 
the establishment of the HIRE Vets Medallion Program under section 
2(a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress annual reports in January 
of each calender year on--
            (1) the fees collected from applicants for HIRE Vets 
        Medallion Awards 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 Medallion 
        Awards received in the prior year; and
            (4) the HIRE Vets Medallion Awards awarded in the prior 
        year, including the name of each employer to whom a HIRE Vets 
        Medallion Award was awarded and the level of Medallion Award 
        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 Appropriations, Education and the 
        Workforce, and Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives; and
            (2) the Committees on Appropriations, Health, Education, 
        Labor, and Pensions, and Veterans' Affairs of the Senate.

SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) 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--
                    (A) the Federal Government;
                    (B) any State, as defined in such section; or
                    (C) any foreign state.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Labor.
            (3) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given 
        such term under section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
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