[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3054 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 3054


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

            December 19 (legislative day, December 18), 2001

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
                           and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To award congressional gold medals on behalf of government workers who 
responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center and perished and on 
behalf of people aboard United Airlines Flight 93 who helped resist the 
                hijackers and caused the plane to crash.

    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 ``True American Heroes Act''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS FOR GOVERNMENT WORKERS WHO RESPONDED 
              TO THE ATTACKS ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AND PERISHED.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--In recognition of the bravery and 
self-sacrifice of officers, emergency workers, and other employees of 
State and local government agencies, including the Port Authority of 
New York and New Jersey, and of the United States Government, who 
responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, 
and perished in the tragic events of September 11, 2001 (including 
those who are missing and presumed dead), the President is authorized 
to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal of appropriate 
design for each such officer, emergency worker, or employee to the next 
of kin or other representative of each such officer, emergency worker, 
or employee.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred 
to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury shall strike gold 
medals with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be 
determined by the Secretary to be emblematic of the valor and heroism 
of the men and women honored.
    (c) Determination of Recipients.--The Secretary of the Treasury 
shall determine the number of medals to be presented under this section 
and the appropriate recipients of the medals after consulting with 
appropriate representatives of Federal, State, and local officers and 
agencies and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
    (d) Presentment Ceremony.--The President shall consult with the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of 
the Senate, the majority leader and the minority leader of the House of 
Representatives, and the majority leader and the minority leader of the 
Senate with regard to the ceremony for presenting the gold medals under 
subsection (a).
    (e) Duplicative Gold Medals For Departments and Duty Stations.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall strike 
        duplicates in gold of the gold medals struck pursuant to 
        subsection (a) for presentation to each of the following:
                    (A) The Governor of the State of New York.
                    (B) The Mayor of the City of New York.
                    (C) The Commissioner of the New York Police 
                Department, the Commissioner of the New York Fire 
                Department, the head of emergency medical services for 
                the City of New York, and the Chairman of the Board of 
                Directors of the Port Authority of New York and New 
                Jersey.
                    (D) Each precinct house, fire house, emergency 
                response station, or other duty station or place of 
                employment to which each person referred to in 
                subsection (a) was assigned on September 11, 2001, for 
                display in each such place in a manner befitting the 
                memory of such persons.
    (f) Determination of Recipients.--The Secretary of the Treasury 
shall determine the number of medals to be presented under subsection 
(e) and the appropriate recipients of the medals after consulting with 
appropriate representatives of Federal, State, and local officers and 
agencies and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
    (g) Duplicate Bronze Medals.--The Secretary of the Treasury may 
strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant 
to subsection (a) under such regulations as the Secretary may 
prescribe, at a price of $50 per medal.
    (h) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sales of duplicate 
bronze medals under subsection (g) shall be deposited in a fund to be 
used to erect a memorial for the fallen emergency responders.
    (i) Use of the United States Mint at West Point, New York.--It is 
the sense of the Congress that the medals authorized under this section 
should--
            (1) be designed, struck, and presented not more than 90 
        days after the date of the enactment of this Act; and
            (2) be struck at the United States Mint at West Point, New 
        York, to the greatest extent possible.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS FOR PEOPLE ABOARD UNITED AIRLINES 
              FLIGHT 93 WHO HELPED RESIST THE HIJACKERS AND CAUSED THE 
              PLANE TO CRASH.

    (a) Congressional Findings.--The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) On September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93, 
        piloted by Captain James Dahl, departed from Newark 
        International Airport at 8:01 a.m. on its scheduled route to 
        San Francisco, California, with 7 crew members and 38 
        passengers on board.
            (2) Shortly after departure, United Airlines Flight 93 was 
        hijacked by terrorists.
            (3) At 10:37 a.m. United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near 
        Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
            (4) Evidence indicates that people aboard United Airlines 
        Flight 93 learned that other hijacked planes had been used to 
        attack the World Trade Center in New York City and resisted the 
        actions of the hijackers on board.
            (5) The effort to resist the hijackers aboard United 
        Airlines Flight 93 appears to have caused the plane to crash 
        prematurely, potentially saving hundreds or thousands of lives 
        and preventing the destruction of the White House, the Capitol, 
        or another important symbol of freedom and democracy.
            (6) The leaders of the resistance aboard United Airlines 
        Flight 93 demonstrated exceptional bravery, valor, and 
        patriotism, and are worthy of the appreciation of the people of 
        the United States.
    (b) Presentation of Congressional Gold Medals Authorized.--The 
President is authorized to award posthumously, on behalf of Congress 
and in recognition of heroic service to the Nation, gold medals of 
appropriate design to any passengers or crew members on board United 
Airlines Flight 93 who are identified by the Attorney General as having 
aided in the effort to resist the hijackers on board the plane.
    (c) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the presentation 
referred to in subsection (b), the Secretary of the Treasury shall 
strike gold medals of a single design with suitable emblems, devices, 
and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
    (d) Duplicate Medals.--Under such regulations as the Secretary of 
the Treasury may prescribe, the Secretary may strike and sell 
duplicates in bronze of the gold medals struck under subsection (b) at 
a price sufficient to cover the cost of the bronze medals (including 
labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses) and 
the cost of the gold medals.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

    The medals struck under this Act are national medals for purposes 
of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

            Passed the House of Representatives December 18, 2001.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.