[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5896 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5896

 To award a congressional gold medal to the United Negro College Fund, 
 Inc. and the institutions that make up its membership on the occasion 
                     of its 80th year of existence.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 6, 2023

 Ms. Adams (for herself, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Sewell, and 
          Ms. Lee of California) introduced the following bill

                            October 25, 2023

             Referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To award a congressional gold medal to the United Negro College Fund, 
 Inc. and the institutions that make up its membership on the occasion 
                     of its 80th year of existence.

    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 ``United Negro College Fund, Inc. 
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (referred 
        to in this Act as ``HBCUs'') were established during a time 
        when African Americans seeking to further their education was a 
        dangerous undertaking and illegal in many areas of the United 
        States.
            (2) HBCUs initially educated the progeny of slaves, and the 
        graduates of those institutions have been impactful as 80 
        percent of all African-American judges, 80 percent of all 
        African-American doctors and dentists, 50 percent of all 
        African-American lawyers, 50 percent of all African-American 
        professors, 50 percent of all African-American public school 
        teachers, 40 percent of all African-American Members of 
        Congress, and 40 percent of all African-American engineers, 
        while educating only 10 percent of all African-American 
        students in higher education.
            (3) According to a United Negro College Fund, Inc. 
        (referred to in this Act as the ``UNCF'') study, the annual 
        economic impact of HBCUs is over $14,800,000,000 a year, the 
        institutions generate 134,090 jobs for their local and regional 
        economies, and 1 annual class of HBCU graduates constitutes 
        over 50,000 graduates with a lifetime earnings of 
        $130,000,000,000, 56 percent higher than what they could have 
        expected to earn without their HBCU college credentials.
            (4) The UNCF, established in 1944, is the premiere 
        fundraising and scholarship organization in assistance of HBCUs 
        and African-American students.
            (5) In its 80 years of existence, the UNCF has raised over 
        7,000,000,000 in private donations for HBCUs and African-
        American students.
            (6) On an annual basis, the UNCF awards $100,000,000 in 
        scholarships to 10,000 students at hundreds of colleges and 
        universities.
            (7) UNCF also provides grants to its members, which 
        include: Miles College, Oakwood University, Stillman College, 
        Talladega College, Tuskegee University, Philander Smith 
        College, Bethune-Cookman University, Edward Waters University, 
        Florida Memorial University, Clark Atlanta University, 
        Interdominational Theological Center, Morehouse College, Paine 
        College, Spelman College, Dillard University, Xavier University 
        of Louisiana, Rust College, Tougaloo College, Bennett College, 
        Johnson C. Smith University, Livingstone College, Saint 
        Augustine University, Shaw University, Wilberforce University, 
        Allen University, Benedict College, Claflin University, Morris 
        College, Voorhees College, Fisk University, Lane College, 
        Huston-Tillotson University, Jarvis Christian College, Texas 
        College, Wiley College, and Virginia Union University. The 
        fundraising efforts of the UNCF also positively impact each 
        HBCU and African-American student at many non-HBCU 
        institutions.
            (8) The iconic motto of the UNCF, ``A Mind Is a Terrible 
        Thing To Waste'', is commonly known throughout the lexicon in 
        the United States and reminds us as a nation to strive for our 
        individual fullest ability and the highest national ideals 
        through philanthropy and achievement.

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 to the UNCF and the institutions 
that make up its membership.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
described in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to 
in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike the gold medal with 
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 
Secretary.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to 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. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

     It is the sense of the Congress that the United States Mint should 
expedite production of the gold medal and duplicate medals under this 
Act, so that the UNCF and its member institutions can be recognized in 
a timely manner for its 80th anniversary.

SEC. 6. 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.

SEC. 7. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such 
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
under this Act.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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