[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5159 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5159

  To posthumously award a Congressional gold medal on behalf of each 
person aboard United Airlines Flight 93 who helped resist the hijackers 
                     and caused the plane to crash.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 6, 2006

Mr. Shuster (for himself, Mr. Tancredo, Mr. Coble, Mr. Wilson of South 
 Carolina, Ms. Granger, Mr. Kuhl of New York, Mr. Simmons, Mr. Kline, 
  Mr. Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Ms. Hart, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, 
Mrs. Jo Ann Davis of Virginia, Mr. Hall, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Hobson, 
 Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. McKeon, Mr. 
   Franks of Arizona, Ms. Carson, Mr. McCaul of Texas, and Mr. Dent) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To posthumously award a Congressional gold medal on behalf of each 
person 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. 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 33 
        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 passengers and crew aboard United Airlines Flight 
        93 demonstrated exceptional bravery, valor, and patriotism, and 
        are worthy of the appreciation of the people of the United 
        States.

SEC. 2. 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 to the next of kin or personal 
representative of each passenger or crew member on board United 
Airlines Flight 93 who is identified by the Attorney General as having 
aided in the effort to resist the hijackers on board the plane, in 
recognition of heroic service to the Nation.
    (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. 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, 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. 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. 5. 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.
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