[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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