[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3998 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3998
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Women's Soccer
Team in recognition of their extraordinary contributions and commitment
to soccer, women's sports, inclusion, and pay equity.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 25, 2019
Mrs. Beatty (for herself and Mr. Grijalva) 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 to the United States Women's Soccer
Team in recognition of their extraordinary contributions and commitment
to soccer, women's sports, inclusion, and pay equity.
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 ``U.S. Women's National Soccer Team
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT)
has represented the United States in women's soccer
internationally since 1985.
(2) The USWNT has gained international recognition as the
most successful Women's World Cup team, winning four Women's
World Cup titles, beginning with the first Women's World Cup in
1991. The USWNT has participated in every Women's World Cup,
placing no lower than third place and reaching the final five
times.
(3) The USWNT won the gold medal in the first Olympic
women's soccer tournament in 1996, as well as gold medals in
the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympic Games.
(4) The USWNT has consistently been placed at the top of
the FIFA Women's World Rankings and holds the record for the
longest period leading the ranking, from March 2008 to December
2014.
(5) The 2019 USWNT team, coached by Jill Ellis, is composed
of goalkeepers Adrianna Franch, Ashlyn Harris, and Alyssa
Naeher; defenders Abby Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson, Crystal
Dunn, Ali Krieger, Kelley O'Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Emily
Sonnett; midfielders Morgan Brian, Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan,
Rose Lavelle, Allie Long, and Samantha Mewis; and forwards
Tobin Heath, Carli Lloyd, Jessica McDonald, Alex Morgan,
Christen Press, Mallory Pugh, and Megan Rapinoe. Lloyd, Morgan,
and Rapinoe served as team co-captains.
(6) The USWNT won the 2019 Women's World Cup, defeating the
Netherlands in the championship game by a score of 2 to 0 on
July 7, 2019.
(7) As the team celebrated on the field, chants of ``Equal
Pay'' were reported in the stadium. This reaction from the
crowd was prompted by growing awareness and media coverage of
the pay inequities experienced by the USWNT compared to their
male counterparts.
(8) The efforts of USWNT regarding wage inequity, in tandem
with their continued success on the field, have advanced our
Nation's dialogue surrounding complicated issues such as gender
equity.
(9) The USWNT also serves as a powerful and visible
advocate of the LGBTQ community in athletics.
(10) Their work on these issues sets a powerful example to
young women across the globe, particularly women athletes, to
stand up for equal treatment.
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 to the United States
Women's National Team, in recognition of their extraordinary
contributions and commitment to soccer, women's sports, inclusion, and
pay equity.
(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
under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the
Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be available for
display 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
women's soccer.
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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