[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3287 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3287

   To award a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the recipients of 
 assistance under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (commonly 
 referred to as the ``GI Bill of Rights'') in recognition of the great 
contributions such recipients made to the Nation in both their military 
   and civilian service and the contributions of Harry W. Colmery in 
  initiating actions which led to the enactment of that Act, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 29, 2010

Mr. Brownback (for himself, Mr. Roberts, and Mr. Begich) 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 in honor of the recipients of 
 assistance under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (commonly 
 referred to as the ``GI Bill of Rights'') in recognition of the great 
contributions such recipients made to the Nation in both their military 
   and civilian service and the contributions of Harry W. Colmery in 
  initiating actions which led to the enactment of that Act, and for 
                            other purposes.

    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 ``Achievements of the GI Bill Gold 
Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The life of Harry W. Colmery of Topeka, Kansas, was 
        marked by exemplary service to his country.
            (2) Harry Colmery served the United States with distinction 
        during World War I as a first lieutenant and pilot instructor 
        in the Army Air Corps.
            (3) Upon his return, Harry Colmery remained involved in 
        issues important to the United States Armed Forces and veterans 
        community through the American Legion, serving as the national 
        commander of the American Legion from 1936 to 1937.
            (4) In 1943, the United States faced an unprecedented 
        number of servicemen and women returning from World War II to 
        civilian life, more than 15,000,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, 
        and Marines.
            (5) Harry Colmery, and others with the American Legion, 
        helped spearhead efforts to ensure that government programs 
        were in place to ensure that these members of the United States 
        Armed Forces would face an easy transition back to civilian 
        life.
            (6) During a December 1943 emergency meeting of American 
        Legion leadership to address these concerns at the Mayflower 
        Hotel in Washington, DC, Harry Colmery crafted the initial 
        draft of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, also known 
        as the ``GI Bill of Rights''.
            (7) This pioneering piece of legislation sought to help GIs 
        buy homes, start businesses, and attend college or technical 
        school upon their return from World War II.
            (8) Due to Harry Colmery's advocacy, President Franklin D. 
        Roosevelt signed the GI Bill of Rights into law on June 22, 
        1944.
            (9) In the decade following World War II, more than 
        2,000,000 eligible men and women went to college using the GI 
        Bill of Rights, and another 5,000,000 received other schooling 
        or job training under the GI Bill.
            (10) From 1944 to 1952, the Veterans Administration backed 
        nearly 2,400,000 home loans for World War II veterans due to 
        the GI Bill of Rights.
            (11) The GI Bill of Rights has been heralded as one of the 
        most significant pieces of legislation ever produced by the 
        Federal Government, one that has impacted the United States 
        socially, economically, and politically.

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 Congress, 
of a single gold medal of appropriate design in honor of the recipients 
of assistance under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (commonly 
referred to as the ``GI Bill of Rights''), in recognition of the great 
contributions such recipients made to the Nation in both their military 
and civilian service and the contributions of Harry W. Colmery in 
initiating actions which led to the enactment of that Act.
    (b) Design and Striking.--
            (1) In general.--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.
            (2) Obverse and reverse.--The obverse of the gold medal 
        shall bear the image of Harry W. Colmery and the reverse shall 
        bear a design emblematic of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act 
        of 1944 and the achievements of the recipients of assistance 
        under such Act.
    (c) Smithsonian Institution.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in 
        honor of the recipients of assistance under the Servicemen's 
        Readjustment Act of 1944 under subsection (a), the gold medal 
        shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be 
        available for display as appropriate and made available for 
        research.
            (2) Sense of the congress.--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 selected by the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Defense, or the 
        Secretary of Education.

SEC. 4. 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. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medals struck under 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, 
Unites 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 stuck 
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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