[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 25 (Monday, February 13, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H1109-H1111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  HONORING INVESTMENTS IN RECRUITING AND EMPLOYING AMERICAN MILITARY 
                          VETERANS ACT OF 2017

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (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, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 244

       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 AWARD PROGRAM.

       (a) Program Established.--Not later than 2 years 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; and
       (3) notify such recipients of their 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--
       (i) a HIRE Vets Medallion Award of the level determined 
     under section 3; and
       (ii) a certificate stating that such employer is entitled 
     to display such HIRE Vets Medallion Award.
       (C) Timing.--
       (1) Solicitation period.--The Secretary shall solicit 
     applications not later than January 31st of each calendar 
     year for the Awards 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 Awards 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 Awards to be awarded in November of that calendar 
     year.
       (4) Selection of recipients.--The Secretary shall select 
     the employers to receive HIRE Vets Medallion Awards not later 
     than September 30th of each calendar year for the 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 Awards 
     to be awarded in November of that calendar year.
       (d) Limitation.--An employer who receives a HIRE Vets 
     Medallion Award for one calendar year is not eligible to 
     receive a HIRE Vets Medallion Award for the subsequent 
     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 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 
     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.--The Secretary shall verify all 
     information provided in the applications, to the extent that 
     such information is relevant in determining whether or not an 
     employer should receive a HIRE Vets Medallion Award or in 
     determining the appropriate level of HIRE Vets Medallion 
     Award for that employer to receive, including by requiring 
     the chief executive officer or the chief human relations 
     officer of the employer to attest under penalty of perjury 
     that the employer has met the criteria described in 
     subsection (b) for a particular level of Award.
       (b) Awards.--
       (1) Large employers.--
       (A) In general.--The Secretary shall establish two levels 
     of HIRE Vets Medallion Awards to be awarded to employers 
     employing 500 or more employees, to be designated the ``Gold 
     HIRE Vets Medallion Award'' and the ``Platinum HIRE Vets 
     Medallion Award''.
       (B) 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) veterans constitute not less than 7 percent of all 
     employees hired by such employer during the prior calendar 
     year;
       (ii) such employer has retained not less than 75 percent of 
     the veteran employees hired during the calendar year 
     preceding the preceding calendar year for a period of at 
     least 12 months from the date on which the employees were 
     hired;
       (iii) such employer has established an employee veteran 
     organization or resource group to assist new veteran 
     employees with integration, including coaching and mentoring; 
     and
       (iv) such employer has established programs to enhance the 
     leadership skills of veteran employees during their 
     employment.
       (C) Platinum hire vets medallion award.--No employer shall 
     be eligible to receive a Platinum HIRE Vets Medallion Award 
     in a given calendar year unless--
       (i) the employer meets all the requirements for eligibility 
     for a Gold HIRE Vets Medallion Award under subparagraph (B);
       (ii) veterans constitute not less than 10 percent of all 
     employees hired by such employer during the prior calendar 
     year;
       (iii) such employer has retained not less than 85 percent 
     of the veteran employees hired during the calendar year 
     preceding the preceding calendar year for a period of at 
     least 12 months from the date on which the employees were 
     hired;
       (iv) such employer employs dedicated human resources 
     professionals to support hiring and retention of veteran 
     employees, including efforts focused on veteran hiring and 
     training;
       (v) 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
       (vi) such employer has 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)(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 Award.
       (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 design of each HIRE Vets Medallion Award, 
     except that the Award shall be in the form of a certificate 
     and shall state the year for which it was awarded.

     SEC. 4. DISPLAY OF AWARD.

       (a) In General.--The recipient of a HIRE Vets Medallion 
     Award may--
       (1) publicly display such Award through the end of the 
     calendar year following receipt of such Award; and
       (2) publicly display the HIRE Vets Medallion Award 
     Certificate issued in conjunction with such Award.
       (b) Unlawful Display Prohibited.--It is unlawful for any 
     employer to publicly display a HIRE Vets Medallion Award, 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 Award through the HIRE Vets Medallion Award 
     Program, if such employer did not receive such Award through 
     the HIRE Vets Medallion Award Program; or
       (2) for the purpose of conveying, or in a manner reasonably 
     calculated to convey, a false impression that the employer 
     received the Award through the HIRE Vets Medallion Award 
     Program for a year for which such employer did not receive 
     such Award.

     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''. Amounts appropriated to the fund 
     pursuant to subsection (c) shall remain available until 
     expended.
       (b) Fee Authorized.--The Secretary may assess a reasonable 
     fee on employers that apply for receipt of a HIRE Vets 
     Medallion Award 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.

[[Page H1110]]

       (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 Award Program.

     SEC. 6. INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION.

       The HIRE Vets Medallion Program shall begin to solicit 
     applications on January 31 of the year that is two fiscal 
     years after the fiscal year during which funds are first 
     appropriated to carry out this Act.

     SEC. 7. 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 
     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 Award 
     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 
     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. 8. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (a) The term ``employer'' means any person, institution, 
     organization, or other entity that pays salary or wages for 
     work performed or that has control over employee 
     opportunities, except that such term does not include--
       (1) the Federal Government; or
       (2) any State government, as defined in such section.
       (b) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Labor.
       (c) The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given such term 
     under section 101 of title 38, United States Code.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to add extraneous materials.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 244, as amended, would require the Department of Labor to 
establish a HIRE Vets Medallion Program to recognize and award 
employers with a HIRE Vets Medallion for their efforts to recruit, 
employ, and retain veterans, as well as their work to provide community 
and charitable services to veterans and their local communities.
  While we still have work to do, it is important to note that the 
veteran unemployment rate has continued to decrease over recent years 
and, as of last month, was at the low rate of 4.5 percent. Again, we 
have more work to do. While many factors have led to the continued 
reduction of the unemployment rate for the men and women who have 
served, our Nation's employers in both the public and private sectors 
deserve a lot of credit, and it is important that we highlight the work 
that these companies have done and that we publicly recognize their 
commitment to hiring our veterans--hiring our true American heroes. I 
commend them so much.
  With this idea in mind, H.R. 244, as amended, would authorize the 
Secretary of Labor to create the HIRE Vets Medallion Program, which 
would recognize employers who hire and retain veterans as well as 
companies that provide support services to the veterans and their 
communities.
  Employers would earn either platinum or gold status based on 
requirements that are related to the number of veterans hired each 
year, providing pay equity for guardsmen and Reserve employees who were 
called up to active military service and other requirements. Once these 
employers have earned HIRE Vets Medallions, they would be able to 
publicly display their awards to illustrate the work they have done on 
behalf of our veterans and the priorities they place on hiring veterans 
within their workforces.
  As we work to continue to decrease the national unemployment rate 
among our men and women who have served, it is vital that we highlight 
and thank the employers who have stepped up and have recognized the 
benefits of hiring a veteran, and there are many benefits as their work 
ethic is outstanding--their dedication, their integrity. They are 
really outstanding people, and I am glad that our employers have 
stepped up.
  I thank the staff of the Department of Labor and the Trump 
administration for working with us to make improvements to the 
legislation from what was passed last year.
  I also thank Colonel Paul Cook of California for introducing and 
advocating for this bill, which, again, has my full support.
  I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 244, as 
amended.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 244, as amended, the HIRE Vets Act.
  I give a special thank-you to my colleague from California, Colonel 
Cook, who, himself, is a Vietnam veteran. Since the first day he got 
into Congress, he has been our veterans' stanchest supporter, and I 
appreciate that.
  Mr. Speaker, this is an innovative, bipartisan piece of legislation. 
The HIRE Vets Act directs the Department of Labor, or DOL VETS, to 
establish a HIRE Vets Medallion Program. This program solicits 
voluntary information from private sector employers, which we know they 
want to give--and we know they are out there hiring folks--and allows 
these employers to display, with other marketing materials, a 
recognized medallion as a symbol of their support and willingness to 
make sure we hire veterans. Employers who provide community and 
charitable services that support veterans will also be eligible.
  Hiring veterans isn't just the right thing to do because it is 
morally and ethically right; it makes good business sense, and our 
folks know that.
  The men and women who have served in our military have received 
invaluable training and experience that has proven to help them thrive 
in post-military employment. What they need is a foot in the door. 
Fortunately, we have been seeing encouraging trends in veterans' 
employment. Thanks to the hard work of DOL VETS, combined with efforts 
within the private sector and Federal and State governments, the 
veterans' unemployment rate in January of 2017 was 4.5 percent, which 
is lower than the national average. We also know that the unemployment 
rate for post-9/11 veterans remains unacceptably high at 8 percent.
  We must remain vigilant to make sure that the men and women who 
signed up to defend our Nation enjoy opportunities for growth when they 
return home. The HIRE Vets Medallion Program represents an additional 
incentive for employers to hire and retain veterans, which is something 
we can all get behind.
  Again, I thank Colonel Cook for offering this bipartisan legislation. 
Thank you to the vice chairman for bringing this up and throwing his 
support behind it. I am certainly proud to stand in support of this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Cook), a good friend and a great veterans' advocate. I 
thank him for his service.
  Mr. COOK. I thank Mr. Bilirakis for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, as a combat veteran, I am deeply concerned that the men 
and women of our Armed Forces continue to struggle to find jobs upon 
their return to civilian life. These individuals have not only 
displayed great courage in serving their country, but have acquired 
certain skills that make them ideal candidates for employment.

  I am not going to go over many of the things that were said about how 
the program is an incentive, as I think that has already been covered. 
I just want to underscore the fact that this is a problem. It is not a 
new problem. You can have the statistics, but one has to ask oneself: 
Why do we have a lower percentage of veterans who are getting the jobs?

[[Page H1111]]

  As was already mentioned, I am a product of the Vietnam war; and the 
veterans who were getting out there, a lot of people were afraid to 
hire them. They didn't know whether they would be recalled back into 
the service, and they didn't know whether they had post-traumatic 
stress disorder. They were not going to take a chance on them, and that 
was sad. That was many, many years ago, but the stats don't lie.
  I am very, very supportive. I get passionate about these programs 
because the bottom line is we have to make sure that we take care of 
the troops, and this is a bill that, with the cooperation of private 
industry, has those incentives built in there. I am optimistic. We had 
bipartisan support the last time. We went all the way up there and were 
waiting the last time for the Senate--holding our breath. Everybody 
knows you don't always get what you want. I am not going to give up and 
neither will the people who have been supporting this bill because we 
are all very, very passionate about veterans.
  I thank Chairman Roe. I thank Ranking Member Walz for his great 
support and military service. I thank Representative Tulsi Gabbard for, 
once again, being the original cosponsor of this important legislation 
and for always being there for the veterans and the military. I also 
thank Congressman Bilirakis for his great support.
  Once again, this passed out of the House last November and had 
unanimous support. I urge my colleagues to once again vote in favor of 
this bill.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Hawaii (Ms. Gabbard), who still serves this Nation in uniform.
  Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of H.R. 244, the 
HIRE Vets Act, which I am so proud and honored to have worked on with 
my colleague and fellow veteran, Colonel Paul Cook from California.
  This is personal for us. This is about our brothers and sisters in 
uniform--from different generations--who have been honored and thanked 
for their service in uniform but who, unfortunately, are often 
forgotten about when they lay that uniform down. Most people aren't 
aware that every single day roughly 500 veterans are transitioning from 
military life to civilian life, joining more than 2.9 million veterans 
who have returned home since 9/11 alone. Through their service and 
training, these are men and women who are highly trained, who have 
experience in leading, in making decisions under pressure, in acting 
and working well as members of a team, and in accomplishing the 
mission.
  Data show that veterans are civic assets in our communities. They 
have higher rates of voting, of engaging with local governments and 
community organizations, of participating actively in community 
service, and more. Together, these qualities make our veterans 
especially valuable to employers, whether it be in the private sector, 
in the public sector, or in the nonprofit sector.
  Unfortunately, for them, returning to a civilian job market is not as 
easy as it should be. They often face an unfriendly job market or even 
an unfriendly culture that doesn't fully understand them and what they 
bring to the table. Many people don't understand that our veterans are 
not seeking pity or a handout but are simply looking for an opportunity 
to continue to serve--to continue to contribute to our communities and 
to our country.
  This legislation is focused on encouraging employers to hire more 
veterans. We have seen different programs and initiatives in my home 
State of Hawaii and in States across the country that focus on 
recruiting and retaining veterans, but the fact is that there are still 
more than 400,000 unemployed veterans across the country. We need to do 
more.
  This legislation, the HIRE Vets Act, gets directly at this need by 
setting up an incentive system to encourage employers to hire and 
retain veterans. It creates a standard of recognition for employers who 
go the extra mile to recruit and retain veterans and provide services 
that support our veteran community.
  We came together at the end of last year and passed this legislation 
unanimously. I am hopeful that my colleagues will once again stand and 
pass this important legislation and move it along through the Senate 
and to the President's desk for his signature.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I encourage my 
colleagues to support H.R. 244, as amended.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this 
legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 244, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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