[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2248 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 2248


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 18, 1997

                                Received

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
   To authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the 
  Congress to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in recognition of his 
 outstanding and enduring contributions toward religious understanding 
                   and peace, 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. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew--
                    (A) is the spiritual leader of nearly 300 million 
                Orthodox Christians around the world and millions of 
                Orthodox Christians in America; and
                    (B) is recognized in the United States and abroad 
                as a leader in the quest for world peace, respect for 
                the earth's environment, and greater religious 
                understanding;
            (2) the extraordinary efforts of Ecumenical Patriarch 
        Bartholomew continue to bring people of all faiths closer 
        together in America and around the world;
            (3) the courageous leadership of Ecumenical Patriarch 
        Bartholomew for peace in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, the 
        Middle East, the Eastern Mediterranean, and elsewhere inspires 
        and encourages people of all faiths toward his dream of world 
        peace in the new millennium; and
            (4) the outstanding accomplishments of Ecumenical Patriarch 
        Bartholomew have been formally recognized and honored by 
        numerous governmental, academic, and other institutions around 
        the world.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized to 
present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal of appropriate design 
to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in recognition of his outstanding 
and enduring contributions to religious understanding and peace.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the presentation 
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter 
in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal 
with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by 
the Secretary.

SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to section 2 under such regulations as the 
Secretary may prescribe, and at a price sufficient to cover the costs 
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead 
expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

    The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals for 
purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby authorized to 
be charged against the Numismatic Public Enterprise Fund an amount not 
to exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the medal authorized by this 
Act.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sales of duplicate 
bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in the Numismatic 
Public Enterprise Fund.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 17, 1997.

            Attest:

                                                ROBIN H. CARLE,

                                                                 Clerk.