[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1566 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1566

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Stevie Wonder, in recognition of 
 his ground-breaking musical achievements, activism, and contributions 
                         to the music industry.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 19, 2007

Mr. Conyers (for himself, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Jackson-Lee 
   of Texas, Mr. Kildee, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Payne, Mr. Watt, Mr. 
 Fattah, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Stupak, Mr. Rush, Mr. Rangel, Mr. 
 Kucinich, Mr. Levin, Ms. Carson, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Al Green of Texas, 
Ms. Watson, Ms. Waters, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Towns, Mr. Meek 
of Florida, Mr. Delahunt, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Cohen, Mr. 
Moran of Virginia, Mr. Berman, Ms. Berkley, Mr. McCotter, and Mr. Frank 
of Massachusetts) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                  the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Stevie Wonder, in recognition of 
 his ground-breaking musical achievements, activism, and contributions 
                         to the music industry.

    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 ``Stevie Wonder Congressional Gold 
Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Stevland Hardaway Judkins, later known as Stevie 
        Wonder, born in Saginaw, Michigan to Lula Mae Hardaway on May 
        13, 1950, has been a major figure in the music industry for the 
        past 40 years.
            (2) Born prematurely, Stevie Wonder was placed in an 
        incubator where an excess of oxygen exacerbated a visual 
        condition known as retinopathy of prematurity, which ultimately 
        caused his blindness.
            (3) In 1961, Ronnie White of the Miracles arranged an 
        audition with Motown Records' Berry Gordy Jr, who quickly 
        signed him and named him ``Little'' Stevie Wonder.
            (4) His first album, ``Little Stevie Wonder: the 12 Year 
        Old Genius'', made the child a huge star, and produced a number 
        1 hit with the single ``Fingertips'' (Part 2) in 1963.
            (5) The following year, Stevie Wonder enrolled in the 
        Michigan School for the Blind, where he studied classical 
        piano.
            (6) In 1964, Wonder recorded little while his voiced 
        changed and he returned in 1965 without the ``Little'' 
        nickname.
            (7) His first recording as a teenager ``Uptight 
        (Everything's Alright),'' which he co-wrote with Henry Cosby 
        and Sylvia Moy, was a number 3 pop hit in the United States and 
        hit number 1 on the rhythm and blues charts; this was the 
        beginning of a string of number 1 hits that continued unbroken 
        for over 6 years.
            (8) Stevie Wonder co-wrote almost all of his singles from 
        1967 onwards, and collaborated with some of the most notable 
        Motown artists.
            (9) Shortly after reaching his 21st birthday in the spring 
        of 1971, his recording contract with Motown Records expired, 
        and he conditioned his return on obtaining complete artistic 
        control of his records.
            (10) Motown Records agreed and he became the youngest 
        artist with the ability to artistically control his career.
            (11) In 1976, Stevie Wonder's double album ``Songs in the 
        Key of Life'' was another huge critical commercial success with 
        2 number 1 pop hits, ``Sir Duke'' and ``I Wish'', as well as 
        the classic ``Isn't She Lovely''.
            (12) With no new music for the next 3 years, aside from the 
        release of the mostly instrumental soundtrack to the 
        documentary The Secret Life Of Plants in 1979, he returned to 
        pop with ``Hotter Than July'' in 1980, which included the 
        United States pop Top 5 hit ``Masterblaster (Jamming)''.
            (13) ``Hotter Than July'' also included the hit single 
        ``Happy Birthday,'' which Stevie Wonder, one of the main 
        figures in the campaign to have the birthday of Dr. Martin 
        Luther King, Jr. become a national holiday, used to popularize 
        the movement.
            (14) Wonder, along with the Congressional Black Caucus and 
        other civil rights organizations, hosted the Rally for Peace 
        Press Conference in 1981 in Washington, D.C., where he was 
        joined by a peaceful crowd of 50,000 supporters, and such 
        personalities as Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Jesse Jackson, and 
        Gil Scott-Heron.
            (15) The first Martin Luther King Day was celebrated on 
        January 15, 1986, with a concert headlined by Stevie Wonder.
            (16) Stevie Wonder pioneered the use of the synthesizer in 
        rhythm and blues, and also broadened his lyrics to encompass 
        racial problems and spiritual concerns.
            (17) In his acceptance speech as the recipient of the 1984 
        Oscar for Best Song, he dedicated his award to then imprisoned 
        civil rights leader Nelson Mandela; the South African 
        government promptly banned Wonder's music from that country.
            (18) In 1985, Stevie Wonder performed on the number 1 
        charity singles ``We Are the World'' by USA for Africa and 
        ``That's What Friends Are For'' by Dionne Warwick & Friends; 
        both songs raised awareness about famine in Africa and the AIDS 
        epidemic, respectively.
            (19) Stevie Wonder returned quickly with the new album, 
        ``Characters'' in 1987 which was a hit on the rhythm and blues 
        side, topping the album charts and producing a number 1 hit in 
        ``Skeletons.'' and was his final release of the 1980s.
            (20) He returned in 1991 with the soundtrack to the Spike 
        Lee film, Jungle Fever, and his next full album was 1995's 
        ``Conversation Peace''.
            (21) He won two Grammy's for the single ``For Your Love''.
            (22) Since then, Motown has released a number of re-masters 
        and compilations to continue Wonder's vast legacy.
            (23) ``A Time to Love'', Wonder's first new album in 10 
        years, was released in 2005.
            (24) Stevie Wonder has recorded more than 30 Top10 hits, 
        won 22 Grammy Awards (a record for a solo artist), including a 
        Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and has been inducted into 
        both the Rock and Roll and the Songwriters Halls of Fame.
            (25) He is the recipient of countless other awards and 
        honors such as the U.S. Distinguished Service Award, 1999 
        MusiCares Person of the Year, Rhythm and Blues Foundation 
        Pioneer Awards Lifetime Achievement, NAACP Image Award, United 
        in Recovery's Ambassador of Peace Award, and an ASCAP Founders 
        Award.
            (26) Stevie Wonder has become one of the most successful 
        and well-known artists in the world, with 9 United States 
        number 1 hits to his name and album sales totaling more than 
        100,000,000 units.
            (27) Stevie Wonder has also been active in such social 
        causes as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Retinitis 
        Pigmentosa Foundation, and his annual House Full of Toys 
        Benefit Concert and he is a leading figure in the ``Charge 
        Against Hunger'' in conjunction with American Express, which 
        has raised over $150,000,000 dollars to feed nearly 6,000,000 
        underprivileged people yearly.
            (28) At age 49, Stevie Wonder was the youngest-ever 
        recipient in the 22-year history of Kennedy Center Honors, 
        given annually for lifetime contribution to arts and culture, 
        and presented to Stevie Wonder by President Bill Clinton in 
        Washington D.C., December 5, 1999.
            (29) On October 17th, 2006, Stevie Wonder received a 
        Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Civil Rights 
        Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.

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 Stevie Wonder, in 
recognition of his ground-breaking musical achievements, activism, and 
contributions to the music industry.
    (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 3 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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