[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2784 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2784

 To award a congressional gold medal to Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth 
    Dalai Lama, in recognition of his many enduring and outstanding 
   contributions to peace, non-violence, human rights, and religious 
                             understanding.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 11, 2006

Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Alexander, Mr. 
 Allen, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Biden, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. 
 Burns, Mr. Byrd, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Carper, Mr. Chafee, Mrs. Clinton, 
   Mr. Coburn, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Coleman, Ms. Collins, Mr. Craig, Mr. 
 Dayton, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Dodd, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Durbin, Mr. 
 Ensign, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Hatch, 
  Mr. Inouye, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kerry, Mr. 
Kohl, Mr. Kyl, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Levin, Mr. 
Lieberman, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Lott, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Martinez, Mr. McCain, 
 Mr. Menendez, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. Murkowski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Nelson of 
 Florida, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Obama, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Reed, Mr. 
  Reid, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Salazar, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Schumer, Mr. 
Sessions, Mr. Smith, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Specter, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Sununu, 
   Mr. Talent, Mr. Thune, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Voinovich, and Mr. Wyden) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
            Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To award a congressional gold medal to Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth 
    Dalai Lama, in recognition of his many enduring and outstanding 
   contributions to peace, non-violence, human rights, and religious 
                             understanding.

    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 cited as the ``Fourteenth Dalai Lama Congressional 
Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama--
            (1) is recognized in the United States and throughout the 
        world as a leading figure of moral and religious authority;
            (2) is the unrivaled spiritual and cultural leader of the 
        Tibetan people, and has used his leadership to promote 
        democracy, freedom, and peace for the Tibetan people through a 
        negotiated settlement of the Tibet issue, based on autonomy 
        within the People's Republic of China;
            (3) has led the effort to preserve the rich cultural, 
        religious, and linguistic heritage of the Tibetan people and to 
        promote the safeguarding of other endangered cultures 
        throughout the world;
            (4) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his 
        efforts to promote peace and non-violence throughout the globe, 
        and to find democratic reconciliation for the Tibetan people 
        through his ``Middle Way'' approach;
            (5) has significantly advanced the goal of greater 
        understanding, tolerance, harmony, and respect among the 
        different religious faiths of the world through interfaith 
        dialogue and outreach to other religious leaders; and
            (6) has used his moral authority to promote the concept of 
        universal responsibility as a guiding tenet for how human 
        beings should treat one another and the planet we share.

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 Tenzin Gyatso, the 
Fourteenth Dalai Lama, in recognition of his many enduring 
contributions to peace and religious understanding.
    (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 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 sections 5134 and 5136 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.
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