[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3105 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3105

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration 
  of the 400th anniversary of the landing and settlement of Plymouth 
   Colony, the signing of the Mayflower Compact, and the role of the 
   indigenous Wampanoag tribes in the realization of the settlement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 28, 2016

Mr. Markey (for himself and Ms. Warren) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
                           and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration 
  of the 400th anniversary of the landing and settlement of Plymouth 
   Colony, the signing of the Mayflower Compact, and the role of the 
   indigenous Wampanoag tribes in the realization of the settlement.

    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 ``Plymouth 400th Anniversary 
Commemorative Coin Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) the United States is poised for an anniversary of 
        national and international significance, the 400th anniversary 
        of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth Colony;
            (2) the Plymouth 400th anniversary will highlight the 
        cultural contributions and United States traditions that began 
        with the interaction of the indigenous Wampanoag and English 
        peoples, a story that significantly shaped the building of the 
        United States;
            (3) the settlers, some known as Pilgrims, and their ship 
        the Mayflower, have come to represent national and 
        international symbols of freedom and law;
            (4) the indigenous Wampanoag people, and their interaction 
        with the Pilgrims, created an important legacy through their 
        assistance and association, including participation in the 
        shared harvest feast, ``The First Thanksgiving'', which serves 
        as the indelible icon for the Thanksgiving holiday in the 
        United States;
            (5) the ``Mayflower Compact'', signed near Provincetown off 
        the coast of Cape Cod before landing in Plymouth, was the 
        colonial cornerstone for self-governance in the New World and 
        had a profound influence on later developments related to the 
        Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights;
            (6) there are more than 20,000,000 descendants worldwide 
        that trace their ancestry back to the Mayflower passengers 
        arriving in 1620 and on subsequent ships in the 1620s;
            (7) in 2009, a nonprofit organization, Plymouth 400, Inc., 
        was established to ensure a suitable national observance of the 
        Plymouth 400th anniversary to include the themes of 
        exploration, innovation, immigration, self-governance, 
        religious freedom, and thanksgiving, which are legacies that 
        were sparked by these historic events and that continue today 
        as cornerstones of the United States;
            (8) Plymouth 400, Inc., will lead, support, and facilitate 
        legislative and marketing efforts for a commemorative coin 
        series, United States postage stamps, and related activities 
        for the Plymouth 400th anniversary observances and 
        commemorations in 2020;
            (9) a commemorative coin series will bring national and 
        international attention to the lasting legacy of Plymouth 
        Colony, its settlers, and the indigenous Wampanoag tribes of 
        the area;
            (10) the proceeds from a surcharge on the sale of such 
        commemorative coins will assist the financing of a suitable 
        national observance in 2020 and 2021 of the 400th anniversary 
        of the Pilgrim landing and historic events, including the 
        signing of the Mayflower Compact, the ``First Thanksgiving'' 
        feast, interaction with the indigenous Wampanoag people, and 
        other significant events of the period;
            (11) today, people from across the 50 States and from 
        around the world flock to Plymouth to see the landing place, 
        Plymouth Rock, visit the re-created Mayflower and Plimoth 
        Plantation, and trace their ancestry and learn about the 
        indigenous Wampanoag and their integral role in the history of 
        the United States; and
            (12) the story of the Pilgrims, the indigenous Wampanoag 
        people, and the Mayflower are iconic symbols for the world 
        representing freedom, family, law, and justice.

SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

    (a) Denominations.--The Secretary of the Treasury (hereinafter in 
this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue the 
following coins:
            (1) $5 gold coins.--Not more than 100,000 $5 coins, which 
        shall--
                    (A) weigh 8.359 grams;
                    (B) have a diameter of 0.85 inches; and
                    (C) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloy.
            (2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 500,000 $1 coins, which 
        shall--
                    (A) weigh 26.73 grams;
                    (B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
                    (C) contain not less than 90 percent silver.
            (3) Half-dollar clad coins.--Not more than 750,000 half-
        dollar coins which shall--
                    (A) weigh 11.34 grams;
                    (B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and
                    (C) be minted to the specifications for half-dollar 
                coins described in section 5112(b) of title 31, United 
                States Code.
    (b) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this Act shall be legal 
tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code.
    (c) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.

    (a) Design Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this 
        Act shall be emblematic of the landing and settlement of 
        Plymouth Colony, the signing of the Mayflower Compact, and the 
        role of the indigenous Wampanoag tribes in the realization of 
        the settlement.
            (2) Designation and inscriptions.--On each coin minted 
        under this Act there shall be--
                    (A) a designation of the value of the coin;
                    (B) an inscription of the year ``2020'', ``2021'', 
                or ``2020-2021''; and
                    (C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God 
                We Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E 
                Pluribus Unum''.
    (b) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this Act 
shall be--
            (1) selected by the Secretary after consulting with--
                    (A) Plymouth 400, Inc.;
                    (B) Plimoth Plantation, Inc.;
                    (C) the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe;
                    (D) the Wampanoag Tribe of Gayhead (Aquinnah);
                    (E) the General Society of Mayflower Descendants;
                    (F) the Pilgrim Society;
                    (G) the Plymouth Antiquarian Society;
                    (H) the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum;
                    (I) the Massachusetts Cultural Council; and
                    (J) the Massachusetts Historical Society; and
            (2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

    (a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be issued 
in uncirculated and proof qualities.
    (b) Mint Facility.--Only 1 facility of the United States Mint may 
be used to strike any particular quality of the coins minted under this 
Act.
    (c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted 
under this Act only during a 2-year period beginning January 1, 2020.

SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.

    (a) Sale Price.--The coins issued under this Act shall be sold by 
the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of--
            (1) the face value of the coins;
            (2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with respect to 
        such coins; and
            (3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including 
        labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, 
        marketing, and shipping).
    (b) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the coins 
issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
    (c) Prepaid Orders.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders 
        for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of such 
        coins.
            (2) Discount.--Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders 
        under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.

SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.

    (a) In General.--All sales of coins issued under this Act shall 
include a surcharge as follows:
            (1) A surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin.
            (2) A surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 coin.
            (3) A surcharge of $5 per coin for the half-dollar coin.
    (b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United 
States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of 
coins under this Act shall be promptly paid by the Secretary as 
follows:
            (1) 50 percent of the surcharges to Plymouth 400, Inc.--
                    (A) to support the work of the organization to 
                develop, implement, and provide oversight for the 
                commemorations surrounding the events of 2020 through 
                2021; and
                    (B) at the discretion of Plymouth 400 to distribute 
                to local historical preservation and cultural 
                organizations to support their important work in 
                educating the public about the settlement of 1620, 
                their continued existence for the benefit of future 
                generations, and other related purposes.
            (2) 15 percent of the surcharges to Plimoth Plantation to 
        support their effort to maintain the replica of the 1627 
        Plantation, the Mayflower II, and the replica of the Wampanoag 
        Village.
            (3) 15 percent of the surcharges to a Wampanoag tribal 
        organization to continue programs to educate people about the 
        life of the Wampanoag people prior to the Plymouth settlement 
        and the interactions between the settlers and the Wampanoag 
        people.
            (4) 10 percent of the surcharges to the General Society of 
        Mayflower Descendants--
                    (A) to support the continued restoration of the 
                main facility in Plymouth;
                    (B) to provide funding for their research library 
                at that site; and
                    (C) for educational purposes.
            (5) 10 percent of the surcharges to the Pilgrim Society to 
        continue their work in displaying the story of the settlement 
        and its artifacts, including the role of the indigenous 
        Wampanoag tribe in the settlement.
    (c) Audits.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
have the right to examine such books, records, documents, and other 
data of each of the organizations referred to in subsection (b) as may 
be related to the expenditures of amounts paid under such subsection.
    (d) Limitations.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), no surcharge may 
be included with respect to the issuance under this Act of any coin 
during a calendar year if, as of such time of issuance, the issuance of 
such coin would result in the number of commemorative coin programs 
issued during such year to exceed the annual 2 commemorative coin 
program issuance limitation under section 5112(m)(1) of title 31, 
United States Code (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this 
Act). The Secretary of the Treasury may issue guidance to carry out 
this subsection.

SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.

    The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure 
that--
            (1) minting and issuing coins under this Act will not 
        result in any net cost to the United States Government; and
            (2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, are 
        disbursed to any recipient designated in section 7 until the 
        total cost of designing and issuing all of the coins authorized 
        by this Act (including labor, materials, dies, use of 
        machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping) is 
        recovered by the United States Treasury, consistent with 
        sections 5112(m) and 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code.
                                 <all>