[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2717 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2717

   To authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the 
   Congress honoring Wilma G. Rudolph in recognition of her enduring 
 contributions to humanity and women's athletics in the United States 
                             and the world.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 23, 1997

   Ms. Kilpatrick (for herself, Mr. Blagojevich, Mr. Blumenauer Mr. 
 Bonior, Mr. Capps, Ms. Carson, Ms. Christian-Green, Mr. Clement, Mr. 
Clyburn, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Dellums, 
Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. Filner, Mr. Ford, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. 
 Frost, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Hilliard, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Jackson-
 Lee of Texas, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Jenkins, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of 
 Texas, Mr. Lantos, Ms. McKinney, Mrs. Meek of Florida, Mr. Menendez, 
Ms. Millender-McDonald, Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Poshard, 
    Ms. Rivers, Mr. Rush, Mr. Sandlin, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Stark, Mr. 
Thompson, Ms. Waters, Mr. Watts of Oklahoma, Ms. Woolsey, and Mr. Wynn) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                     Banking and Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the 
   Congress honoring Wilma G. Rudolph in recognition of her enduring 
 contributions to humanity and women's athletics in the United States 
                             and the world.

    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) Wilma G. Rudolph of Clarksville, Tennessee, the 20th of 
        22 children, overcame a series of childhood diseases, including 
        scarlet fever, double pneumonia, and polio, to become an 
        athletic pioneer and champion in the State of Tennessee, the 
        United States, and the world, first as an outstanding 
        basketball player and track athlete in Tennessee, then as a 
        three-time gold medal winner in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, and 
        finally as a pioneer for racial equality, goodwill, and 
        justice;
            (2) Wilma G. Rudolph's winning of 3 gold medals in the 1960 
        Olympics served as an inspiration to athletes of all sports, 
        races, and genders;
            (3) Wilma G. Rudolph's ability to inspire endured after her 
        performance in the 1960 Olympics, as demonstrated by--
                    (A) her receipt in 1987 of the National Collegiate 
                Athletic Association's Silver Anniversary Award, the 
                first time a woman ever received the award;
                    (B) her receipt of the 1989 Jackie Robinson Image 
                Award of the National Association for the Advancement 
                of Colored People (NAACP);
                    (C) her induction into the National Track and Field 
                Hall of Fame in 1973;
                    (D) her receipt of the 1985 Humanitarian of the 
                Year Award of the Special Olympics; and
                    (E) her receipt in 1993 of the National Sports 
                Award from President William J. Clinton, the only time 
                a woman has received the award;
            (4) Wilma G. Rudolph, a graduate of Tennessee State 
        University, a successful businessperson, a mother, an athlete, 
        a coach, and a teacher, who passed away on November 12, 1994, 
        will forever remain an inspiration to all able-bodied and 
        physically challenged individuals in overcoming odds;
            (5) Wilma G. Rudolph blazed a trail that helped all people 
        understand the contributions of women to the world of 
        athletics;
            (6) Wilma G. Rudolph set the stage for the enactment of 
        title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits 
        sex discrimination in education programs receiving Federal 
        assistance, and which has led to increased participation in 
        athletics by women and more career options for women in the 
        United States;
            (7) the legacy of Wilma G. Rudolph continues to serve as a 
        particular inspiration to women who, 25 years after the 
        enactment of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, are 
        able to reap the benefits of increased access to athletics; and
            (8) Wilma G. Rudolph's life truly embodied the American 
        values of hard work, determination, and love of humanity.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized to award, 
on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal of appropriate design honoring 
Wilma G. Rudolph in recognition of her outstanding and enduring 
contributions to humanity and to women's athletics in the United States 
and the world.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the award referred to 
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (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, and 
overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.

SEC. 4. STATUS AS 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. FUNDING.

    (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund an amount 
not to exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the medals authorized by 
this Act.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in the United States 
Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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