[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 678 Introduced in House (IH)]
105th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 678
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration
of the sesquicentennial of the birth of Thomas Alva Edison, to redesign
the half dollar circulating coin for 1997 to commemorate Thomas Edison,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 11, 1997
Mr. Gillmor (for himself, Mr. Bonior, Mr. Dingell, Mr. Goss, Mr.
Pallone, Mr. Payne, Mr. Lampson, Mr. LaTourette, Mr. Ney, Mr. Portman,
Mr. Oxley, Mr. Regula, Mr. Sawyer, Mr. Hall of Ohio, Mr. Traficant, Mr.
Kasich, Mr. Hobson, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Levin, Ms. Rivers, Mr. Conyers, Mr.
Davis of Virginia, Mr. Frost, Ms. Norton, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Sabo, Mr.
Towns, Mr. Horn, Mr. Berman, Mr. Saxton, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Barcia, Mr.
Ackerman, Mr. Stearns, Mr. Hastert, Mr. Goodlatte, Mr. Andrews, Mr.
Borski, Mrs. Thurman, Mr. Shays, Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut, Mrs.
Clayton, Mr. King, Mr. Smith of Michigan, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts,
and Ms. Stabenow) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Banking and Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration
of the sesquicentennial of the birth of Thomas Alva Edison, to redesign
the half dollar circulating coin for 1997 to commemorate Thomas Edison,
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 Sesquicentennial
Commemorative Coin Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that--
(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''; and
(4) 1997 will mark the sesquicentennial of the birth of
Thomas A. Edison.
TITLE I--COMMEMORATIVE COINS
SEC. 101. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--In commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the
birth of Thomas A. Edison, the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in
this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue--
(1) not more than 350,000 $1 coins, each of which shall--
(A) weigh 26.73 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent
copper; and
(2) not more than 350,000 half dollar coins, each of which
shall--
(A) weigh 12.50 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and
(C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent
copper.
(b) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this title 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 title shall be
considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 102. SOURCES OF BULLION.
The Secretary shall obtain silver for minting coins under this
title only from stockpiles established under the Strategic and Critical
Materials Stock Piling Act.
SEC. 103. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) Design Requirements.--
(1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this
title shall be emblematic of the many inventions made by Thomas
A. Edison throughout his prolific life.
(2) Designation and inscriptions.--On each coin minted
under this title there shall be--
(A) a designation of the value of the coin;
(B) an inscription of the years ``1847-1997''; and
(C) 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 title shall bear the likeness of Thomas A. Edison.
(b) Design Competition.--Before the end of the 3-month period
beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
conduct an open design competition for the design of the obverse and
the reverse of the coins minted under this title.
(c) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this title
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. 104. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this title shall be
issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) Mint Facility.--Only 1 facility of the United States Mint may
be used to strike any particular quality of the coins minted under this
title.
(c) Commencement of Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted
under this title beginning on and after the date of enactment of this
Act.
(d) Termination of Minting Authority.--No coins may be minted under
this title after July 31, 1998.
SEC. 105. SALE OF COINS.
(a) Sale Price.--The coins issued under this title shall be sold by
the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of--
(1) the face value of the coins;
(2) the surcharge provided in subsection (d) with respect
to such coins; and
(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including
labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses,
marketing, and shipping).
(b) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the coins
issued under this title at a reasonable discount.
(c) Prepaid Orders.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders
for the coins minted under this title before the issuance of
such coins.
(2) Discount.--Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders
under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.
(d) Surcharges.--All sales of coins minted under this title shall
include a surcharge of--
(1) $14 per coin for the $1 coin; and
(2) $7 per coin for the half dollar coin.
SEC. 106. GENERAL WAIVER OF PROCUREMENT REGULATIONS.
(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), no provision
of law governing procurement or public contracts shall be applicable to
the procurement of goods and services necessary for carrying out this
title.
(b) Equal Employment Opportunity.--Subsection (a) shall not relieve
any person entering into a contract under the authority of this title
from complying with any law relating to equal employment opportunity.
SEC. 107. DISTRIBUTION OF SURCHARGES.
(a) In General.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United
States Code, the first $7,000,000 of the surcharges received by the
Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this title shall be
promptly paid by the Secretary as follows:
(1) Museum of arts and history.--Up to \1/7\ 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 \1/7\ 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 \1/7\ 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 \1/7\ 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 \1/7\ 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 \1/7\ 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 \1/7\ to the Edison
Memorial Tower in Edison, New Jersey, for the preservation,
restoration, and expansion of the tower and museum.
(b) Excess Payable to the National Numismatic Collection.--After
payment of the amounts required under subsection (a), the Secretary
shall pay the remaining surcharges to the National Museum of American
History in Washington, D.C., for the support of the National Numismatic
Collection at the museum.
(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.
SEC. 108. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.
(a) No Net Cost to the Government.--The Secretary shall take such
actions as may be necessary to ensure that minting and issuing coins
under this title will not result in any net cost to the United States
Government.
(b) Payment for Coins.--A coin shall not be issued under this title
unless the Secretary has received--
(1) full payment for the coin;
(2) security satisfactory to the Secretary to indemnify the
United States for full payment; or
(3) a guarantee of full payment satisfactory to the
Secretary from a depository institution whose deposits are
insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the
National Credit Union Administration Board.
TITLE II--CIRCULATING COINS
SEC. 201. AUTHORITY TO REDESIGN HALF DOLLAR CIRCULATING COINS.
Section 5112(d) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by
inserting after the 6th sentence the following: ``At the discretion of
the Secretary, half dollar coins minted after December 31, 1996, and
before July 31, 1998, may bear the same design as the commemorative
coins minted under title I of the Thomas Alva Edison Sesquicentennial
Commemorative Coin Act, as established under section 103 of that
Act.''.
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