[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4902 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]


        H.R.4902

                       One Hundred Ninth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
             the third day of January, two thousand and six


                                 An Act


 
 To award a Congressional gold medal to Byron Nelson in recognition of 
    his significant contributions to the game of golf as a player, a 
                       teacher, and a commentator.

    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 ``Byron Nelson Congressional Gold 
Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
    The Congress finds as follows:
        (1) Byron Nelson was a top player in the sport of golf during 
    the World War II era and his accomplishments as a player, a 
    teacher, and commentator are renowned.
        (2) Byron Nelson won 54 career victories, including a record 11 
    in a row in 1945, during his short 13-year career.
        (3) Byron Nelson won 5 majors, including 2 Masters (1937 and 
    1942), two Professional Golf Association (PGA) Championships (1940 
    and 1945) and the U.S. Open (1939).
        (4) Sports journalist Bill Nichols recently ranked the greatest 
    seasons on the PGA tour for The Dallas Morning News and picked 
    Roanoke, Texas-resident Byron Nelson's 1945 tour as the greatest 
    season of golf in American history.
        (5) In 1945, Byron Nelson accumulated 18 total victories, 11 of 
    which were consecutive, while averaging 68.33 strokes per round for 
    30 tournaments.
        (6) At the Seattle Open in 1945, Byron Nelson shot a record 62 
    for 18 holes and the world record 259, 29 shots under par for 72 
    holes.
        (7) Byron Nelson is one of only two golfers to be named ``Male 
    Athlete of the Year'' twice by the Associated Press: in 1944, when 
    he won 7 tournaments and averaged 69.67 strokes for 85 rounds, and 
    again after his 1945 season.
        (8) The World Golf Hall of Fame honored Byron Nelson in 2004 by 
    featuring an exhibit entitled ``Byron Nelson: A Champion ... A 
    Gentleman''.
        (9) Byron Nelson was selected for the Ryder Cup 4 times--in 
    1937, 1939, 1947 and 1965, and on that last occasion he led the 
    United States Ryder Cup team as team captain to victory over Great 
    Britain.
        (10) Byron Nelson was also a pioneer in the golf business, 
    helping to develop the golf shoes and umbrellas used today.
        (11) In 1966, True Temper created the ``Iron Byron'' robot to 
    replicate Byron Nelson's swing in order to test the company's 
    equipment, but the robot was eventually used for club and ball 
    testing by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and many other 
    manufacturing companies.
        (12) Byron Nelson mentored many golf hopefuls, including 1964 
    Player of the Year Ken Venturi and 6-time PGA Player of the Year 
    Tom Watson.
        (13) Byron Nelson was one of the first golf analysts on network 
    television where his understanding of the game in general, and the 
    golf swing in particular, was demonstrably profound.
        (14) Byron Nelson received the United States Golf Association's 
    Bob Jones Award for distinguished sportsmanship in golf in 1974.
        (15) In 1974, the Golf Writers Association of America presented 
    Byron Nelson with the Richardson Award for consistently outstanding 
    contributions to golf.
        (16) Since 1983, the Byron and Louise Nelson Golf Endowment 
    Fund has provided over $1,500,000 in endowment funds to Abilene 
    Christian University in Abilene, Texas.
        (17) Byron Nelson received the PGA Distinguished Service Award 
    in 1993. This award is presented to an individual who has helped 
    perpetuate the ideals and values of the PGA.
        (18) Byron Nelson has served as an honorary chairperson for the 
    Metroport Meals on Wheels since 1992.
        (19) In 1994, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of 
    America presented Byron Nelson with the Old Tom Morris Award for 
    outstanding contributions to the game.
        (20) Byron Nelson helped to develop the Tournament Players 
    Course (TPC) Four Seasons at Los Colinas, Texas, site of the EDS 
    Byron Nelson Championship and the Byron Nelson Golf School, into a 
    world-class facility.
        (21) The EDS Byron Nelson Championship is the only PGA tour 
    event named in honor of a professional golfer and traditionally 
    attracts the strongest players in the sport.
        (22) Since its inception, the EDS Byron Nelson Championship has 
    raised $88,000,000 for Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers, 
    a nonprofit agency that provides education and mental health 
    services for more than 2,700 children and their families in the 
    greater Dallas area.
        (23) In 2002, Byron Nelson received the prestigious Donald Ross 
    Award from the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) 
    for his significant contribution to the game of golf and the 
    profession of golf course architecture.
        (24) The United States Golf Association presented Byron Nelson 
    the Ike Grainger Award for volunteer service to the game of golf in 
    2002.
        (25) In 2002, the National Golf Foundation presented Byron 
    Nelson with the Graffis Award for outstanding lifelong 
    contributions to the game of golf.
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 presentation, on behalf of the 
Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to Byron Nelson in 
recognition of his significant contributions to the game of golf as a 
player, a teacher, and a commentator.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes 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. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to section 3 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 4 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.