[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3373 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3373

 To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in conjunction 
 with the minting of coins by the Republic of Iceland in commemoration 
  of the millennium of the discovery of the New World by Leif Ericson.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 16, 1999

  Mr. Leach 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 conjunction 
 with the minting of coins by the Republic of Iceland in commemoration 
  of the millennium of the discovery of the New World by Leif Ericson.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

          TITLE I--LEIF ERICSON MILLENNIUM COMMEMORATIVE COIN

SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.

    This title may be cited as the ``Leif Ericson Millennium 
Commemorative Coin Act''.

SEC. 102. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

    (a) $1 Silver Coins.--In conjunction with the simultaneous minting 
and issuance of commemorative coins by the Republic of Iceland in 
commemoration of the millennium of the discovery of the New World by 
Leif Ericson, the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this title 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue not more than 
500,000 1 dollar coins, 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 title shall be legal 
tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code.
    (c) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5136 of title 31, 
United States Code, all coins minted under this title shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 103. SOURCES OF BULLION.

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

SEC. 104. DESIGN OF COINS.

    (a) Design Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this 
        title shall be emblematic of the millennium of the discovery of 
        the New World by Leif Ericson.
            (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 year ``2000''; and
                    (C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God 
                We Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E 
                Pluribus Unum''.
    (b) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this title 
shall be--
            (1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the 
        Leifur Eiriksson Foundation and the Commission of Fine Arts; 
        and
            (2) reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory 
        Committee.

SEC. 105. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

    (a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this title shall be 
issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
    (b) Mint Facility.--Only one 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 January 1, 2000.
    (d) Termination of Minting Authority.--No coins may be minted under 
this title after December 31, 2000.

SEC. 106. SURCHARGES.

    (a) In General.--All sales of coins minted under this title shall 
include a surcharge of $10 per coin.
    (b) Distribution.--All surcharges received by the Secretary from 
the sale of coins issued under this title shall be promptly paid by the 
Secretary to the Leifur Eiriksson Foundation for the purpose of funding 
student exchanges between students of the United States and students of 
Iceland.
    (c) Audits.--The Leifur Eiriksson Foundation shall be subject to 
the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, United States 
Code, with regard to the amounts received by the Foundation under 
subsection (b).

SEC. 107. 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 the 
provisions of 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.

          TITLE II--CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER COMMEMORATIVE COIN

SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.

    This title may be cited as the ``United States Capitol Visitor 
Center Commemorative Coin Act of 1999''.

SEC. 202. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) Congress moved to Washington, District of Columbia, and 
        first convened in the Capitol building in the year 1800;
            (2) the Capitol building is now the greatest visible symbol 
        of representative democracy in the world;
            (3) the Capitol building has approximately 5,000,000 
        visitors annually and suffers from a lack of facilities 
        necessary to properly serve them;
            (4) the Capitol building and persons within the Capitol 
        have been provided with excellent security through the 
        dedication and sacrifice of the United States Capitol Police;
            (5) Congress has appropriated $100,000,000, to be 
        supplemented with private funds, to construct a Capitol Visitor 
        Center to provide continued high security for the Capitol and 
        enhance the educational experience of visitors to the Capitol;
            (6) Congress would like to offer the opportunity for all 
        persons to voluntarily participate in raising funds for the 
        Capitol Visitor Center; and
            (7) it is appropriate to authorize coins commemorating the 
        first convening of the Congress in the Capitol building with 
        proceeds from the sale of the coins, less expenses, being 
        deposited for the United States Capitol Preservation Commission 
        with the specific purpose of aiding in the construction, 
        maintenance, and preservation of a Capitol Visitor Center.

SEC. 203. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

    (a) Denominations.--The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in 
this title referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue the 
following coins under this title:
            (1) Bimetallic coins.--Not more than 200,000 $10 bimetallic 
        coins of gold and platinum, in accordance with such 
        specifications as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
            (2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 500,000 $1 coins, 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.
            (3) Half dollar.--Not more than 750,000 half dollar clad 
        coins, each of which--
                    (A) shall weigh 11.34 grams;
                    (B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and
                    (C) be minted to the specifications for half dollar 
                coins contained in section 5112(b) of title 31, United 
                States Code.
    (b) $5 Gold Coins.--If the Secretary determines that the minting 
and issuance of bimetallic coins under subsection (a)(1) is not 
feasible, the Secretary may mint and issue instead not more than 
100,000 $5 coins, which shall--
            (1) weigh 8.359 grams;
            (2) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and
            (3) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloy.
    (c) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this title shall be legal 
tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code.

SEC. 204. SOURCES OF BULLION.

    (a) Platinum and Gold.--The Secretary shall obtain platinum and 
gold for minting coins under this title from available sources.
    (b) Silver.--The Secretary may obtain silver for minting coins 
under this title from stockpiles established under the Strategic and 
Critical Materials Stock Piling Act, and from other available sources.

SEC. 205. DESIGN OF COINS.

    (a) Design Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this 
        title shall be emblematic of the first meeting of the United 
        States Congress in the United States Capitol Building.
            (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 year ``2001''; and
                    (C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God 
                We Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E 
                Pluribus Unum''.
    (b) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this title 
shall be--
            (1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the 
        United States Capitol Preservation Commission (in this title 
        referred to as the ``Commission'') and the Commission of Fine 
        Arts; and
            (2) reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory 
        Committee.

SEC. 206. 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 combination of denomination and 
quality of the coins minted under this title.
    (c) First Use of Year 2001 Date.--The coins minted under this title 
shall be the first commemorative coins of the United States to be 
issued bearing the inscription of the year ``2001''.
    (d) Promotion Consultation.--The Secretary shall--
            (1) consult with the Commission in order to establish a 
        role for the Commission or an entity designated by the 
        Commission in the promotion, advertising, and marketing of the 
        coins minted under this title; and
            (2) if the Secretary determines that such action would be 
        beneficial to the sale of coins minted under this title, enter 
        into a contract with the Commission or an entity referred to in 
        paragraph (1) to carry out the role established under paragraph 
        (1).

SEC. 207. SALE OF COINS.

    (a) Sale Price.--The coins minted 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 under this title shall include a 
surcharge established by the Secretary, in an amount equal to not more 
than--
            (1) $50 per coin for the $10 coin or $35 per coin for the 
        $5 coin;
            (2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin; and
            (3) $3 per coin for the half dollar coin.

SEC. 208. DISTRIBUTION OF SURCHARGES.

    All surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of coins 
minted under this title shall be deposited in the Capitol Preservation 
Fund in accordance with section 5134(f) of title 31, United States 
Code, and shall be made available to the Commission for the purpose of 
aiding in the construction, maintenance, and preservation of a Capitol 
Visitor Center.

        TITLE III--LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION COMMEMORATIVE COIN

SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.

    This title may be cited as the ``Lewis and Clark Expedition 
Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act''.

SEC. 302. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) the expedition commanded by Meriwether Lewis and 
        William Clark, which came to be called ``The Corps of 
        Discovery'', was one of the most remarkable and productive 
        scientific and military exploring expeditions in all American 
        history;
            (2) President Thomas Jefferson gave Lewis and Clark the 
        mission to ``explore the Missouri River & such principal stream 
        of it, as, by its course and communication with the waters of 
        the Pacific Ocean, whether the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado, or 
        any other river may offer the most direct and practical water 
        communication across this continent for the purposes of 
        commerce'';
            (3) the Expedition, in response to President Jefferson's 
        directive, greatly advanced our geographical knowledge of the 
        continent and prepared the way for the extension of the 
        American fur trade with American Indian tribes throughout the 
        land;
            (4) President Jefferson directed the explorers to take note 
        of and carefully record the natural resources of the newly 
        acquired territory known as Louisiana, as well as diligently 
        report on the native inhabitants of the land;
            (5) the Expedition departed St. Louis, Missouri on May 14, 
        1804;
            (6) the Expedition held its first meeting with American 
        Indians at Council Bluff near present-day Fort Calhoun, 
        Nebraska, in August 1804, spent its first winter at Fort 
        Mandan, North Dakota, crossed the Rocky Mountains by the mouth 
        of the Columbia River in mid-November of that year, and 
        wintered at Fort Clatsop, near the present-day city of Astoria, 
        Oregon;
            (7) the Expedition returned to St. Louis, Missouri, on 
        September 23, 1806, after a 28-month journey covering 8,000 
        miles during which it traversed 11 future States: Illinois, 
        Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, 
        Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon;
            (8) accounts from the journals of Lewis and Clark and the 
        detailed maps that were prepared by the Expedition enhance 
        knowledge of the western continent and routes for commerce;
            (9) the Expedition significantly enhanced amicable 
        relationships between the United States and the autonomous 
        American Indian nations, and the friendship and respect 
        fostered between American Indian tribes and the Expedition 
        represents the best of diplomacy and relationships between 
        divergent nations and cultures; and
            (10) the Lewis and Clark Expedition has been called the 
        most perfect expedition of its kind in the history of the world 
        and paved the way for the United States to become a great world 
        power.

SEC. 303. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

    (a) Denomination.--In commemoration of the bicentennial of the 
Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in 
this title 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 title shall be legal 
tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code.
    (c) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5136 of title 31, 
United States Code, all coins minted under this title shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 304. SOURCES OF BULLION.

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

SEC. 305. DESIGN OF COINS.

    (a) Design Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this 
        title shall be emblematic of the expedition of Lewis and Clark.
            (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 year ``2004'' and the 
                years ``1804-1806''; 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 Meriwether Lewis and 
        William Clark.
            (4) General design.--In designing this coin, the Secretary 
        shall also consider incorporating appropriate elements from the 
        Jefferson Peace and Friendship Medal which Lewis and Clark 
        presented to the Chiefs of the various Indian tribes they 
        encountered and shall consider recognizing Native American 
        culture.
    (b) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this title 
shall be selected by the Secretary after consultation with the 
Commission of Fine Arts and shall be reviewed by the Citizens 
Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee.

SEC. 306. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

    (a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this title shall be 
issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
    (b) Mint Facility.--Only one facility of the United States Mint may 
be used to strike any particular quality of the coins minted under this 
title.
    (c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted 
under this title only during the period beginning on January 1, 2004, 
and ending on December 31, 2004.

SEC. 307. 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 $10 per coin.

SEC. 308. DISTRIBUTION OF SURCHARGES.

    (a) In General.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United 
States Code, the proceeds from 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) National lewis and clark bicentennial council.--Two-
        thirds to the National Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council, 
        for activities associated with commemorating the bicentennial 
        of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
            (2) National park service.--One-third to the National Park 
        Service for activities associated with commemorating the 
        bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
    (b) 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. 309. 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.
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