[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2697 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2697

To authorize the President to posthumously award a gold medal on behalf 
 of the Congress to the seven members of the crew of the space shuttle 
Columbia in recognition of their outstanding and enduring contributions 
                             to the Nation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 20, 2004

Mrs. Hutchison introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
    referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the President to posthumously award a gold medal on behalf 
 of the Congress to the seven members of the crew of the space shuttle 
Columbia in recognition of their outstanding and enduring 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) On Saturday, February 1, 2003, the space shuttle 
        Columbia exploded upon re-entering the atmosphere following a 
        16-day mission.
            (2) Before the Columbia started its tragic descent, the 
        shuttle crew completed some 80 scientific experiments and much 
        of their research data had already been relayed to Houston 
        where it has added to the pool of scientific knowledge.
            (3) The Nation pays tribute to the memory of Colonel Rick 
        Husband, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Anderson, Commander Laurel 
        Clark, Captain David Brown, Commander William McCool, Dr. 
        Kapana Chawla, and Ilan Ramon, a colonel in the Israeli air 
        force. The diversity of crew represented the ideals of our 
        Nation.
            (4) These seven courageous explorers paid the ultimate 
        price to improve our understanding of the universe, to advance 
        our medical and engineering sciences, to make the Nation safer 
        and more secure, and to keep the United States economy on the 
        cutting edge of technology.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized, on 
behalf of the Congress, to award a gold medal of appropriate design to 
each of the seven crew members of the space shuttle Columbia--
            (1) Rick D. Husband;
            (2) Michael P. Anderson;
            (3) Laurel Clark;
            (4) David M. Brown;
            (5) William C. McCool;
            (6) Kapana Chawla; and
            (7) Ilan Ramon.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the presentation 
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury shall 
strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, 
to be determined by the Secretary.

SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

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

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. FUNDING.

    (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund an amount 
not to exceed $30,0000 to pay for the cost of the medals authorized by 
this Act.
    (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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