[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 3, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H3309-H3310]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING FOR A CORRECTION IN THE ENROLLMENT OF H.R. 244
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a concurrent
resolution and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in
the House.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mitchell). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:
H. Con. Res. 53
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That in the enrollment of the bill H.R. 244, the
Clerk of the House of Representatives shall make the
following corrections:
(1) Amend the long title so as to read: ``Making
appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017,
and for other purposes''.
(2) Strike the first section 1 immediately following the
enacting clause and all that follows through ``Sec. 4.
Display of Award''.
(3) In the table of contents for the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2017, strike ``Division N--Honoring
Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military
Veterans Act of 2017'' and insert the following:
DIVISION N--INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017
DIVISION O--HONORING INVESTMENTS IN RECRUITING AND EMPLOYING AMERICAN
MILITARY VETERANS ACT OF 2017
(4) Insert immediately before ``It is unlawful for any
employer to publicly display a HIRE Vets Medallion Award''
the following:
``DIVISION O--HONORING INVESTMENTS IN RECRUITING AND EMPLOYING AMERICAN
MILITARY VETERANS ACT OF 2017
``SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
``This division 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 2 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.
[[Page H3310]]
``SEC. 4. DISPLAY OF AWARD.''.
(5) In section 5(b) of division O, strike ``Act'' and
insert ``division''.
(6) In section 6 of division O, strike ``Act'' and insert
``division''.
(7) In section 8 of division O, strike ``Act'' and insert
``division''.
The concurrent resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________