[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 149 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 149

    To posthumously award a Congressional gold medal to Celia Cruz.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2005

    Mr. Menendez (for himself and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To posthumously award a Congressional gold medal to Celia Cruz.

    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 ``Congressional Tribute to Celia Cruz 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alonso was raised as one of 14 
        children in the Santa Suarez district of Havana, Cuba.
            (2) In 1960, Cruz and members of her band fled Cuba for the 
        United States to escape the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro.
            (3) Celia Cruz and Pedro Knight, her husband of 40 years, 
        chose to make America their permanent home, where she became a 
        naturalized American citizen.
            (4) While best known for her work as an entertainer, Celia 
        Cruz influenced the lives of millions of people as an 
        ambassador of Latino culture and a powerful voice of freedom.
            (5) Over a prolific 50-year career as an entertainer, Celia 
        Cruz became known as the ``Queen of Salsa''.
            (6) She recorded over 50 albums, and her collaborative 
        efforts with other performers helped break down ethnic and 
        cultural barriers.
            (7) The musical talent of Celia Cruz earned her hundreds of 
        awards worldwide, most notably a 1990 Grammy Award and 
        Billboard Magazine's ``Lifetime Achievement Award'' in 1995.
            (8) In 1994, Cruz was recognized by President Clinton with 
        the National Endowment of the Arts Award.
            (9) On July 17, 2003, ``Celia Cruz'', as she was more 
        commonly known, passed away at her Fort Lee, New Jersey, home 
        after battling brain cancer.
            (10) Celia Cruz was much more than just a singer to 
        millions of fans worldwide, especially to Latinos in America, 
        and her contributions to music, Latino culture, and American 
        society make her most deserving of America's highest civilian 
        award, the Congressional Gold Medal.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make 
appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of 
the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration of 
Celia Cruz, in recognition of her enduring contributions to music, 
Latino culture, and American society.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred 
to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in 
this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable 
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.

SEC. 4. 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, 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. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this Act are 
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States 
Code.
    (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of title 31, 
United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authority to Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, such 
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
pursuant to this Act.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under section 3 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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