[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4063 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4063

To grant the congressional gold medal to the members of the messman and 
 steward branches of United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard 
                    that served during World War II.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 7, 2009

  Ms. Edwards of Maryland (for herself, Mr. Rangel, and Mr. Bishop of 
   Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on 
House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To grant the congressional gold medal to the members of the messman and 
 steward branches of United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard 
                    that served during World War II.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) During World War II, servicemembers of the United 
        States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard messman and steward 
        branches were men of African-American or Asian-Pacific Island 
        descent.
            (2) The corresponding branches operated under racially 
        discriminatory policies by limiting nearly all of its minority 
        recruits to duty in these branches, providing food and valet 
        services.
            (3) The messmen and steward branch servicemembers were 
        targeted for disparagement as servants, menials, and boys.
            (4) Many volunteers of African-American and Asian-Pacific 
        Islander descent entered the United States Navy, Marine Corps, 
        and Coast Guard with extraordinary talents and training from 
        civilian life and acquired considerable leadership experience 
        and practical seamanship qualifications after enlisting, but 
        were denied requests for transfer to other units.
            (5) The messman and steward branch servicemembers shared in 
        all the hardships and hazards of combat duty on the high seas 
        as integral members of their ship's companies, serving in 
        practically every Navy and Coast Guard combatant ship-type, and 
        in virtually every sea battle from before the Nation's entry 
        into World War II until its finish.
            (6) The messmen and steward branch servicemembers 
        faithfully and heroically performed their secondary role at 
        their battle stations and made vital contributions that were 
        all too often misunderstood or unappreciated.
            (7) No fewer than 1,172 Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard 
        messman and steward branch servicemembers were killed in action 
        or died of wounds during World War II.
            (8) The messman and steward branch servicemembers served 
        honorably and exhibited heroism, sacrifice, commitment, and 
        patriotism all while experiencing discrimination by their peers 
        and superiors.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives 
and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate 
arrangements for the award, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold 
medal of appropriate design in honor of the steward and messman 
branches of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard that 
served during World War II, collectively, in recognition of their 
personal sacrifice and service to their country.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to 
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike the gold medal with 
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 
Secretary.
    (c) Smithsonian Institution.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in 
        honor of the steward and messman branches of the United States 
        Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard that served during World 
        War II under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to 
        the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be displayed as 
        appropriate and made available for research.
            (2) Sense.--It is the sense of the Congress that the 
        Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal received 
        under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere, 
        particularly at other appropriate locations associated with the 
        steward and messman branches of the United States Navy, Marine 
        Corps, and Coast Guard that served during World War II.

SEC. 3. 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 2, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the 
medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

    Medals struck pursuant to this Act are National medals for purposes 
of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, an 
amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the medals 
authorized under section 2.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in the United States 
Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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