Next Step Announced for HIRE Vets Medallion Award Program

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) announced it is accepting public comments on the criteria for the HIRE Vets Medallion Program. A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) was published in the Federal Register today.

The Medallion will recognize employers who recruit, employ, and retain veterans. The Department is establishing the program under the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act, or HIRE Vets Act. President Donald J. Trump signed the act into law on May 5, 2017.

“Veterans have a proven ability to lead under pressure and deliver results,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. “The veteran unemployment rate in July was a low 3.5 percent; yet 356,000 veterans are still looking for work. The HIRE Vets Medallion will recognize employers who hire our nation’s heroes, and encourage others to follow suit.”

The proposed rule would establish the criteria and the process to enable VETS to receive award applications from employers, to verify the information, and then issue HIRE Vets Medallion awards to recognize employers that meet the criteria. The proposed rule also establishes gold and platinum award levels in categories to recognize small, medium, and large employers.

The Secretary will present chosen recipients with a HIRE Vets Medallion Award and a virtual HIRE Vets Medallion which they can use to show their support for veterans’ employment. The proposed rule will also establish an application fee to cover the program’s costs.

Those interested may submit public comments on this NPRM online using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov, or in writing by mail, hand delivery, or courier to Randall Smith, Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-1325, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210.

All comments should include Regulatory Identification Number 1293-AA21. Comments will close 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.