[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1468 Referred in House (RFH)]
1st Session
S. 1468
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 2, 1999
Referred to the Committee on Banking and Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To authorize the minting and issuance of Capitol Visitor Center
Commemorative coins, 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 ``United States Capitol Visitor Center
Commemorative Coin Act of 1999''.
SEC. 2. 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. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in
this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue the
following coins:
(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) Waiver.--Each of the mintage levels specified in subsection (a)
may be waived in accordance with section 5112(m)(2)(B) of title 31,
United States Code.
(d) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this Act shall be legal
tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code.
SEC. 4. SOURCES OF BULLION.
(a) Platinum and Gold.--The Secretary shall obtain platinum and
gold for minting coins under this Act from available sources.
(b) Silver.--The Secretary may obtain silver for minting coins
under this Act from stockpiles established under the Strategic and
Critical Materials Stock Piling Act, and from other available sources.
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 first meeting of the United
States Congress in the United States Capitol Building.
(2) Designation and inscriptions.--On each coin minted
under this Act, 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 Act
shall be--
(1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the
United States Capitol Preservation Commission (in this Act
referred to as the ``Commission'') and 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) 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 Act.
(c) First Use of Year 2000 Date.--The coins minted under this Act
shall be the first commemorative coins of the United States to be
issued bearing the inscription of the year ``2000''.
(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 Act; and
(2) if the Secretary determines that such action would be
beneficial to the sale of coins minted under this Act, 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. 7. SALE OF COINS.
(a) Sale Price.--The coins minted under this Act 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 Act at a reasonable discount.
(c) Prepaid Orders.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders
for the coins minted under this Act 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 Act 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. 8. DISTRIBUTION OF SURCHARGES.
All surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of coins
minted under this Act 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.
Passed the Senate July 30, 1999.
Attest:
GARY SISCO,
Secretary.