[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 131, 115th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
<> ENROLLMENT CORRECTIONS--H.R. 244

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''.

[[Page 2310]]

(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.--

[[Page 2311]]

``(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--

[[Page 2312]]

``(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.

[[Page 2313]]

``(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.''.

(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''.

Agreed to May 4, 2017.