[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 892 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 892

To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the women in the 
 United States who joined the workforce during World War II, providing 
 the aircraft, vehicles, weaponry, ammunition, and other materials to 
    win the war, that were referred to as ``Rosie the Riveter'', in 
    recognition of their contributions to the United States and the 
         inspiration they have provided to ensuing generations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 27, 2019

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the women in the 
 United States who joined the workforce during World War II, providing 
 the aircraft, vehicles, weaponry, ammunition, and other materials to 
    win the war, that were referred to as ``Rosie the Riveter'', in 
    recognition of their contributions to the United States and the 
         inspiration they have provided to ensuing generations.

    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 ``Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold 
Medal Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Over 70 years ago there was a call to action, a demand 
        for workers to fill the vacancies left by the men who went to 
        fight in the war.
            (2) More than 6,000,000 women answered the call then, 
        entering the workforce during World War II and providing the 
        equipment, weaponry, and ammunition to achieve final victory 
        and end the war.
            (3) These women left their homes to work or volunteer full-
        time in factories, farms, shipyards, airplane factories, banks, 
        and other institutions in support of the military overseas.
            (4) They worked with the United Service Organizations and 
        the American Red Cross, drove trucks, riveted airplane parts, 
        collected critical materials, rolled bandages, and served on 
        rationing boards.
            (5) Our ``Rosie the Riveter'', the women who worked and 
        sacrificed to strengthen this country during World War II, are 
        among the greatest living heroines in the United States.
            (6) These women persevered, despite often facing harassment 
        from their male colleagues and disapproval from their male 
        family members, and all the while continued to maintain their 
        ``other jobs'' as caretakers of children and their households.
            (7) Minority women also overcame long-held policies of 
        discrimination and made significant contributions to the war 
        effort.
            (8) Because of the ``Rosies'', Federal, State, and local 
        agencies coordinated with business owners to develop child care 
        programs and other supports for working mothers.
            (9) The example that these women set during World War II 
        continues to inspire us and blaze a path for the working women 
        of today.
            (10) Specifically, the images of ``Rosie the Riveter'' and 
        the phrase ``We Can Do It'' continue to symbolize the 
        empowerment of women today, representing patriotic women who 
        want to serve and strengthen their country and to inspire young 
        girls to become ``21st Century Rosies'' by aspiring to and 
        attaining positions of leadership in all walks of life in the 
        United States.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Rosie the Riveter.--The term ``Rosie the Riveter'' includes any 
female individual who held employment or volunteered in support of the 
war efforts during World War II.
    (b) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
Treasury.

SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Award Authorized.--The President pro tempore of the Senate and 
the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall make appropriate 
arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold 
medal of appropriate design to Rosie the Riveter, collectively, in 
recognition of their contributions to the United States and the 
inspiration they have provided to ensuing generations.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the award referred to 
in subsection (a), the Secretary shall strike the gold medal with 
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 
Secretary.
    (c) National Museum of American History.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in 
        honor of Rosie the Riveter, the gold medal shall be given to 
        the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian 
        Institution, where it will be available for display as 
        appropriate and made available for research.
            (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        the National Museum of American History should make the gold 
        medal received under paragraph (1) available for display 
        elsewhere, particularly at other appropriate locations 
        associated with Rosie the Riveter.

SEC. 5. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    (a) In General.--Under such regulations as the Secretary may 
prescribe, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of 
the gold medal struck under section 4, at a price sufficient to cover 
the costs of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of 
machinery, and overhead expenses.
    (b) Proceeds.--Amounts received from the sale of the duplicates 
under subsection (a) shall be deposited in the United States Mint 
Public Enterprise Fund established under section 5136 of title 31, 
United States Code.

SEC. 6. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--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 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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