[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 678 Engrossed in House (EH)]


  2d Session

                               H. R. 678

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration 
 of Thomas Alva Edison and the 125th anniversary of Edison's invention 
               of the light bulb, and for other purposes.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 678

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration 
 of Thomas Alva Edison and the 125th anniversary of Edison's invention 
               of the light bulb, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Thomas Alva Edison Commemorative 
Coin Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Thomas Alva Edison, one of America's greatest 
        inventors, was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio.
            (2) The inexhaustible energy and genius of Thomas A. Edison 
        produced more than 1,300 inventions in his lifetime, including 
        the incandescent light bulb and the phonograph.
            (3) In 1928, Thomas A. Edison received the Congressional 
        gold medal ``for development and application of inventions that 
        have revolutionized civilization in the last century''.
            (4) 2004 will mark the 125th anniversary of the invention 
        of the light bulb by Thomas A. Edison in 1879, the 1st 
        practical incandescent electric lamp.

SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

    (a) Denomination.--In commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the 
invention of the light bulb by Thomas A. Edison, the Secretary of the 
Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall 
mint and issue not more than 500,000 $1 coins, each of which shall--
            (1) weigh 26.73 grams;
            (2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
            (3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
    (b) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this Act shall be legal 
tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code.
    (c) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of title 31, 
United States Code, all coins minted under this Act shall be considered 
to be numismatic items.

SEC. 4. SOURCES OF BULLION.

    The Secretary may obtain silver for minting coins under this Act 
from any available source, including stockpiles established under the 
Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act.

SEC. 5. DESIGN OF COINS.

    (a) Design Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this 
        Act shall be emblematic of the light bulb and the many 
        inventions made by Thomas A. Edison throughout his prolific 
        life.
            (2) Designation and inscriptions.--On each coin minted 
        under this Act there shall be--
                    (A) a designation of the value of the coin; and
                    (B) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God 
                We Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E 
                Pluribus Unum''.
            (3) Obverse of coin.--The obverse of each coin minted under 
        this Act shall bear the likeness of Thomas A. Edison.
    (b) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this Act 
shall be--
            (1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the 
        Commission of Fine Arts; and
            (2) reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory 
        Committee.

SEC. 6. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

    (a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be issued 
in uncirculated and proof qualities.
    (b) Commencement of Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted 
under this Act beginning on January 1, 2004.
    (c) Termination of Minting Authority.--No coins may be minted under 
this Act after December 31, 2004.

SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.

    (a) In General.--All sales of coins minted under this Act shall 
include a surcharge of $10 per coin.
    (b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United 
States Code, the first $5,000,000 of the surcharges received by the 
Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be paid by 
the Secretary as follows:
            (1) Museum of arts and history.--Up to \1/8\ to the Museum 
        of Arts and History, in the city of Port Huron, Michigan, for 
        the endowment and construction of a special museum on the life 
        of Thomas A. Edison in Port Huron.
            (2) Edison birthplace association.--Up to \1/8\ to the 
        Edison Birthplace Association, Incorporated, in Milan, Ohio, to 
        assist in the efforts of the association to raise an endowment 
        as a permanent source of support for the repair and maintenance 
        of the Thomas A. Edison birthplace, a national historic 
        landmark.
            (3) National park service.--Up to \1/8\ to the National 
        Park Service, for use in protecting, restoring, and cataloguing 
        historic documents and objects at the ``invention factory'' of 
        Thomas A. Edison in West Orange, New Jersey.
            (4) Edison plaza museum.--Up to \1/8\ to the Edison Plaza 
        Museum in Beaumont, Texas, for expanding educational programs 
        on Thomas A. Edison and for the repair and maintenance of the 
        museum.
            (5) Edison winter home and museum.--Up to \1/8\ to the 
        Edison Winter Home and Museum in Fort Myers, Florida, for 
        historic preservation, restoration, and maintenance of the 
        historic home and chemical laboratory of Thomas A. Edison.
            (6) Edison institute.--Up to \1/8\ to the Edison Institute, 
        otherwise known as ``Greenfield Village'', in Dearborn, 
        Michigan, for use in maintaining and expanding displays and 
        educational programs associated with Thomas A. Edison.
            (7) Edison memorial tower.--Up to \1/8\ to the Edison 
        Memorial Tower in Edison, New Jersey, for the preservation, 
        restoration, and expansion of the tower and museum.
            (8) Hall of electrical history.--Up to \1/8\ to the 
        Schenectady Museum Association in Schenectady, New York, for 
        the historic preservation of materials of Thomas A. Edison and 
        for the development of educational programs associated with 
        Thomas A. Edison.
    (c) Audits.--Each organization that receives any payment from the 
Secretary under this section shall be subject to the audit requirements 
of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, United States Code.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 9, 1998.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.