[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 535 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 535

  To award a Congressional gold medal, collectively, to the Filipino 
  Veterans of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated service 
                          during World War II.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 26, 2015

  Mr. Vargas 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 award a Congressional gold medal, collectively, to the Filipino 
  Veterans of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated service 
                          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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Filipino Veterans of World War II 
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued an order 
        commissioning around 250,000 troops from the Philippines into 
        active service for the United States during World War II.
            (2) The United States War Department immediately formed the 
        United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). The unit 
        was made up of the United States-Philippine Military Forces of 
        the Commonwealth Army, Guerrilla Units, New Philippine Scout.
            (3) The Filipino Infantry Regiment, was mostly composed of 
        first-generation immigrants living along the Pacific Coast, who 
        volunteered after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, 
        later many second-generation Filipino-American soldiers joined 
        the Regiment from Hawaii.
            (4) The Philippine Scout units and the New Philippine 
        Scouts were directly recruited by the United States Army for 
        the war effort.
            (5) Under extremely severe occupation policies imposed by 
        the Japanese, it was the anti-Japanese resistance movement that 
        drew more and more Filipinos to its side and through 1943 many 
        of these anti-Japanese guerrillas recovered or newly 
        established liaisons with the United States Army Command of the 
        Southwest Pacific Area and placed themselves under the command 
        of General Douglas MacArthur.
            (6) These Filipino soldiers responded to President 
        Roosevelt's call-to-arms and later fought under the American 
        flag during World War II.
            (7) After the Japanese invasion in December 1941, Filipino 
        and American troops literally shared the same fate at Bataan, 
        Corregidor, and the ``Death March''.
            (8) Many made the ultimate sacrifice as both soldiers in 
        the United States Armed Forces in the Far East and as guerilla 
        fighters during the Imperial Japanese occupation of the 
        Philippines.
            (9) These troops had served under the expectation that they 
        would be treated as United States military servicemembers.
            (10) The Rescission Act of 1946 later passed, which stated 
        that Filipino forces would not be deemed to have been active 
        military.
            (11) Congress recognizes the courage and bravery of the 
        Filipino and Filipino-American servicemen and servicewomen who 
        have fought alongside and in the United States Armed Forces.
            (12) The United States remains forever indebted to the 
        bravery, valor, and dedication to country these men displayed.
            (13) Their commitment and sacrifice demonstrates a highly 
        uncommon and commendable sense of patriotism and honor.
            (14) The Filipino Veterans of World War II include those 
        who served honorably--
                    (A) in an active-duty status under the command of 
                the United States Armed Forces in the Far East; or
                    (B) within the Philippine Army, the Philippine 
                Scouts, or recognized guerrilla units, at any time 
                during the period beginning September 1, 1939, and 
                ending December 31, 1946.

SEC. 3. 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 to the Filipino Veterans of World War II, 
collectively in recognition of their dedicated service during World War 
II.
    (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 Filipino Veterans of 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 of congress.--It is the sense of 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 
        Filipino Veterans of World War II.

SEC. 4. 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 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the 
medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--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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