[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4531 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4531

     To award a congressional gold medal to Dr. Dorothy Height in 
          recognition of her many contributions to the Nation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 18, 2002

   Ms. Watson of California introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To award a congressional gold medal to Dr. Dorothy Height in 
          recognition of her many contributions to the Nation.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Dr. Dorothy Irene Height was born March 24, 1912 to 
        James Edward Height and Fannie (Borroughs) Height in Richmond, 
        Virginia and raised in Rankin, Pennsylvania.
            (2) Dr. Height is recognized as one of the preeminent 
        social and civil rights activists of her time, particularly in 
        the struggle for equality, social justice, and human rights for 
        all peoples.
            (3) Beginning as a civil rights advocate in the 1930s, she 
        soon gained prominence through her tireless efforts to promote 
        interracial schooling, to register and educate voters, and to 
        increase the visibility and status of women in our society.
            (4) She has labored to provide hope for inner-city children 
        and their families, and she can claim responsibility for many 
        of the advances made by women and African-Americans over the 
        course of this century.
            (5) Her public career spans over 65 years.
            (6) Dr. Height was a valued consultant on human and civil 
        rights issues to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and she 
        encouraged President Eisenhower to desegregate the Nation's 
        schools and President Johnson to appoint African-American women 
        to sub-Cabinet posts.
            (7) Dr. Height has been President of the National Council 
        of Negro Women (NCNW) since 1957, a position to which she was 
        appointed upon the retirement of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, one 
        of the most influential African-American women in United States 
        history.
            (8) The National Council of Negro Women is currently the 
        umbrella organization for 250 local groups and 38 national 
        groups engaged in economic development and women's issues.
            (9) Under Dr. Height's leadership, the National Council of 
        Negro Women implemented a number of new and innovative programs 
        and initiatives, including the following:
                    (A) Operation Woman Power, a project to expand 
                business ownership by women and to provide funds for 
                vocational training.
                    (B) Leadership training for African-American women 
                in the rural South.
                    (C) The Black Family Reunion, a nationwide annual 
                gathering to encourage, renew and celebrate the concept 
                of not only the Black family but all families.
                    (D) The Women's Center for Education and Career 
                Advancement to empower minority women in nontraditional 
                careers.
                    (E) The Bethune Museum and Archives, a museum 
                devoted to African-American women's history.
            (10) Dr. Height has been at the forefront of AIDS 
        education, both nationally and internationally; under her 
        direction, the National Council of Negro Women established 
        offices in West Africa and South Africa and worked to improve 
        the conditions of women in the developing world.
            (11) Dr. Height has been central in the success of 2 other 
        influential women's organizations, as follows:
                    (A) As president and executive board member of 
                Delta Sigma Theta, Dr. Height left the sorority more 
                efficient and globally focused with a centralized 
                headquarters.
                    (B) Her work with the Young Women's Christian 
                Association (YWCA) led to its integration and more 
                active participation in the civil rights movement.
            (12) As a member of the ``Big Six'' civil rights leaders 
        with Whitney Young, A. Phillip Randolph, Martin Luther King, 
        Jr., James Farmer, and Roy Wilkins, Dr. Height was the only 
        female at the table when the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 
        and others made plans for the civil rights movement.
            (13) Dr. Height is the recipient of many awards and 
        accolades for her efforts on behalf of women's rights, 
        including the following:
                    (A) The Spingarn Award, the NAACP's highest honor 
                for civil rights contributions.
                    (B) The Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by 
                President Clinton.
                    (C) The John F. Kennedy Memorial Award from the 
                National Council of Jewish Women.
                    (D) The Ministerial Interfaith Association Award 
                for her contributions to interfaith, interracial, and 
                ecumenical movements for over 30 years;
                    (E) The Lovejoy Award, the highest recognition by 
                the Grand Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order 
                of Elks of the World for outstanding contributions to 
                human relations.
                    (F) The Ladies Home Journal Woman of the Year Award 
                in recognition for her work for human rights.
                    (G) The William L. Dawson Award presented by the 
                Congressional Black Caucus for decades of public 
                service to people of color and particularly women.
                    (H) The Citizens Medal Award for distinguished 
                service presented by President Reagan.
                    (I) The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Freedom Medal 
                awarded by the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt 
                Institute.
            (14) Dr. Dorothy Height has established a lasting legacy of 
        public service that has been an invaluable contribution to the 
        progress of this Nation.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized to 
present, on behalf of the Congress, to Dr. Dorothy Irene Height a gold 
medal of appropriate design in recognition of her many contributions to 
the Nation.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the presentation 
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter 
in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal 
with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by 
the Secretary.

SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the 
Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medals 
struck under section 2 at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the 
medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

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

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby authorized to 
be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund an 
amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the medal 
authorized under section 2.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in the United States 
Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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