[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1861 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.1861

                     One Hundred Fifteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

         Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
           the third day of January, two thousand and eighteen


                                 An Act


 
    To award a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of Lawrence Eugene 
 ``Larry'' Doby in recognition of his achievements and contributions to 
  American major league athletics, civil rights, and the Armed Forces 
                          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 ``The Larry Doby Congressional Gold 
Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
    Congress finds that--
        (1) Larry Doby was born in Camden, South Carolina, on December 
    13, 1923, and moved to Paterson, New Jersey, in 1938, where he 
    became a standout four-sport athlete at Paterson Eastside High 
    School;
        (2) Larry Doby attended Long Island University on a basketball 
    scholarship before enlisting in the United States Navy during World 
    War II;
        (3) upon his honorable discharge from the Navy in 1946, Larry 
    Doby played baseball in the Negro National League for the Newark 
    Eagles;
        (4) after playing the 1946 season, Larry Doby's contract was 
    purchased by the Cleveland Indians of the American League on July 
    3, 1947;
        (5) on July 5, 1947, Larry Doby became the first African-
    American to play in the American League;
        (6) Larry Doby played in the American League for 13 years, 
    appearing in 1,533 games and batting .283, with 253 home runs and 
    970 runs batted in;
        (7) Larry Doby was voted to seven All-Star teams, led the 
    American League in home runs twice, and played in two World Series;
        (8) in 1948, Larry Doby helped lead the Cleveland Indians to a 
    World Series Championship over the Boston Braves and became the 
    first African-American player to hit a home run in a World Series 
    game;
        (9) after his stellar playing career ended, Larry Doby 
    continued to make a significant contribution to his community;
        (10) Larry Doby was a pioneer in the cause of civil rights and 
    received honorary doctorate degrees from Long Island University, 
    Princeton University, and Fairfield University;
        (11) in 1978, Larry Doby became the manager of the Chicago 
    White Sox, only the second African-American manager of a Major 
    League Baseball team;
        (12) Larry Doby was the Director of Community Relations for the 
    New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association, where he 
    was deeply involved in a number of inner-city youth programs; and
        (13) Larry Doby was inducted to the National Baseball Hall of 
    Fame in 1998.
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 gold medal of appropriate design, in honor of Larry Doby and in 
recognition of his achievements and contributions to American major 
league athletics, civil rights, and the Armed Forces during World War 
II.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose 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) Transfer of Medal After Presentation.--Following the 
presentation of the gold medal in honor of Larry Doby pursuant to 
subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to his son, Larry Doby, 
Jr.
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 sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.