[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 660 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 660

 To award a congressional gold medal to Ossie Davis in recognition of 
                 his many contributions to the Nation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 8, 2005

  Mr. Rangel introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To award a congressional gold medal to Ossie Davis in recognition of 
                 his 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ossie Davis Congressional Gold Medal 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Raiford Chatman ``Ossie'' Davis was born on December 
        18, 1917, in Cogdell, Georgia, the eldest of 5 children, and 
        died at the age of 87 in Miami, Florida, on February 4, 2005.
            (2) A gifted actor, playwright, producer, screenwriter, 
        director, and author, Ossie Davis was admired as a trailblazing 
        entertainer and an unwavering advocate for social justice.
            (3) Over a 50-year career, Ossie Davis portrayed the lives 
        and times of African Americans in many memorable performances 
        on stage, television, and film.
            (4) Ossie Davis wrote numerous plays, books, and musicals 
        that raised the Nation's awareness of the challenges faced by 
        African Americans in this country, and highlighted the nobility 
        of their cause.
            (5) Ossie Davis portrayed positive and inspirational images 
        of African Americans in their struggles under slavery and 
        segregation, and served as a role model for future generations 
        of American performers and artists.
            (6) A steadfast voice for equality and social justice, 
        Ossie Davis was an advocate for the dispossessed and 
        disenfranchised through his performing arts, civic engagement, 
        and public activism.
            (7) Among his many noteworthy and acclaimed 
        accomplishments, Ossie Davis wrote and starred in the 
        theatrical production ``Purlie Victorious'', directed the movie 
        ``Cotton Comes to Harlem'', and starred in the stage play ``A 
        Raisin in the Sun''.
            (8) Ossie Davis and his wife of 56 years, Ruby Dee, were 
        one of the most respected couples of the American entertainment 
        industry, appearing together in several stage productions, 
        television series, and movies, and producing ``Countdown to 
        Kusini'', the first American feature film to be recorded 
        entirely in Africa by black professionals.
            (9) In recognition of his theatrical achievements, Ossie 
        Davis received the Silver Circle Award from the National 
        Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the National Medal of 
        Arts awarded by the President, the Life Achievement Award from 
        the Screen Actors Guild, and the Kennedy Center Honors, the 
        most prestigious public recognition of an artist's lifetime 
        contributions in the performing arts in the United States.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--In recognition of the many 
contributions of Ossie Davis to the Nation, 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 the personal 
representative of Ossie Davis.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the presentation 
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
(hereinafter 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.

    Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the 
Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal 
struck under section 3 at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the 
gold and bronze medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of 
machinery, and overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS.

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

SEC. 6. FUNDING.

    (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 under section 4 shall be deposited in the United States 
Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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