[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 742 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 742

To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Giuseppe Garibaldi 
and to Recognize the Republic of Italy on the 150th Anniversary of its 
                              Unification.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 16, 2011

    Mr. Grimm (for himself, Mr. Pascrell, and Mr. King of New York) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Giuseppe Garibaldi 
and to Recognize the Republic of Italy on the 150th Anniversary of its 
                              Unification.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Giuseppe Garibaldi was born on July 4, 1807 in Nice.
            (2) Garibaldi's family's involvement in coastal trade drew 
        him to a life at sea. He was certified in 1832 as a merchant 
        marine captain.
            (3) As a young man Garibaldi joined the movement of La 
        Giovine Italia (``Young Italy'') which was founded by Giuseppe 
        Mazzini, who was an impassioned proponent of Italian 
        unification.
            (4) Garibaldi participated in various independence 
        struggles throughout Central and South America.
            (5) Garibaldi came to the United States where he applied 
        for citizenship and began learning English. He lived for a time 
        with inventor Antonio Meucci in his home in Staten Island, New 
        York.
            (6) The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum is a place where Italian-
        American heritage and culture can be celebrated as well as 
        where the lives of Giuseppe Garibaldi and Antonio Meucci can be 
        remembered.
            (7) The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum was listed on the U.S. 
        National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
            (8) In 1854, Giuseppe Garibaldi left Staten Island, New 
        York and returned to Italy as the commander in the conflicts of 
        the Risorgimento to lead military forces that would provide for 
        the unification of Italy.
            (9) The Risorgimento's progress was eagerly followed in a 
        United States ideologically opposed to European dynastic 
        ``tyranny''. The victory was viewed in this country as a 
        powerful vindication of the right of the individual to 
        political self-determination.
            (10) Giuseppe Garibaldi, who led Italy to unification in 
        1861, was offered a command as Major General in the Union Army 
        by President Abraham Lincoln. Garibaldi declined, but to honor 
        him, the 39th New York Infantry was known as ``The Garibaldi 
        Guard''. About 150 of its 850 men were Italian. It fought in 
        the Union Army from Bull Run to Appomattox.
            (11) Garibaldi was an active freemason, and thought of 
        masonry as a network to unite men as brothers both within 
        nations and as members of a global community.
            (12) Garibaldi spent the rest of his life in Caprera with 
        his wife, Francesca Armosino, and their children and family 
        members. He died on June 2, 1882.
            (13) Giuseppe Garibaldi is one of the most symbolic figures 
        of the Republic of Italy and a national hero. Five Italian Navy 
        ships have been named after him, including the Italian navy's 
        current flagship, the aircraft carrier ``Giuseppe Garibaldi''.
            (14) On March 17, 2011, the Republic of Italy will 
        officially celebrate Italy's 150th Anniversary with a series of 
        activities across the nation of Italy, in Washington, DC and 
        throughout the United States to highlight the unique 
        partnership between Italy and the United States. As long time 
        allies, both nations share a common set of values, historical 
        ties, and cultural relations that span multiple centuries.
            (15) From the arts and sciences to political thinking and 
        beyond, the lives and ideas of great men like Andrea Palladio 
        and Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and Antonio Meucci, and 
        Giuseppe Garibaldi and Abraham Lincoln have inspired and 
        enlightened one another.
            (16) Today, the legacy of immigrants is found throughout 
        the United States in the millions of American men, women and 
        children of Italian descent and the community organizations 
        such as the National Italian American Foundation and others 
        that serve to strengthen and enrich our country.
            (17) Upon arrival to a new home, the Italian American 
        community faced racial, social, and religious discrimination. 
        Yet, Italian Americans persevered with hope and hard work to 
        reach the American dream, flourished in all areas of public and 
        economic life, and helped build our great country while 
        preserving their proud Italian traditions. As proud service 
        members, they have also defended the liberty and integrity of 
        the United States of America since the Revolutionary War, 
        during both World Wars, the wars in Vietnam, Korea and the 
        Persian Gulf up until today's current conflicts.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--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 gold medal of appropriate design in 
        recognition of the contributions of Giuseppe Garibaldi to the 
        Nation.
            (2) Display of medal in capitol visitor center.--The 
        Architect of the Capitol shall arrange for the gold medal 
        presented under this subsection to be displayed in the Capitol 
        Visitor Center as part of an exhibit honoring Giuseppe 
        Garibaldi.
    (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. 3. 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. 4. 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 sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 5. 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.
                                 <all>