[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3658 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3658
To grant the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the Monuments
Men, in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation,
protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts
of cultural importance during and following World War II.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 5, 2013
Ms. Granger (for herself and Mr. Capuano) 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, collectively, to the Monuments
Men, in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation,
protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts
of cultural importance during and following World War II.
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 ``Monuments Men Recognition Act of
2013''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) On June 23, 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
formed the ``American Commission for the Protection and Salvage
of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas''.
(2) The Commission established the Monuments, Fine Arts,
and Archives (``MFAA'') Section under the Allied Armies.
(3) The men and women serving in the MFAA Section were
referred to as the ``Monuments Men''.
(4) These individuals had expertise as museum directors,
curators, art historians, artists, architects, and educators.
(5) In December 1943, General Dwight D. Eisenhower
empowered the Monuments Men by issuing orders to all commanders
that stated they must respect monuments ``so far as war
allows''.
(6) Initially the Monuments Men were intended to protect
and temporarily repair the monuments, churches, and cathedrals
of Europe suffering damage due to combat.
(7) Hitler and the Nazis engaged in a pre-meditated, mass
theft of art and stored priceless works in thousands of art
repositories throughout Europe.
(8) The Monuments Men adapted their mission to identify,
preserve, catalogue, and repatriate almost 5,000,000 artistic
and cultural items which they discovered.
(9) This magnitude of cultural preservation was
unprecedented during a time of conflict.
(10) The Monuments Men grew to no more than 350 individuals
and joined front line military forces; two Monuments Men lost
their lives in action.
(11) Following the Allied victory, the Monuments Men
remained abroad to rebuild cultural life in Europe through
organizing art exhibitions and concerts.
(12) Many of the Monuments Men became renowned directors
and curators of preeminent international cultural institutions,
professors at institutions of higher education, and founders of
artistic associations both before and after the war.
(13) The Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of
Art was founded in 2007 to honor the legacy of the men and
women who served as Monuments Men.
(14) There are only five surviving members of the Monuments
Men as of December 2013.
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 in commemoration to
Monuments Men, in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation,
protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts
of cultural importance during and following World War II.
(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.
(c) Smithsonian Institution.--
(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in
honor of the Monuments Men, the gold medal shall be given to
the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be available for
display as appropriate and available for research.
(2) Sense of the congress.--It is the sense of the Congress
that the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal
awarded pursuant to this Act available for display elsewhere,
particularly at appropriate locations associated with the
Monuments Men, and that preference should be given to locations
affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution.
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 section 5134 of title 31,
United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.
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