[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 973 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 973

   To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., in 
recognition of his unique and substantial contributions across America 
  in lifting marginalized people, communities, and institutions that 
     continue to struggle for economic mobility, access to greater 
          opportunities, equity, and equality for all people.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 9, 2023

  Ms. Williams of Georgia (for herself, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mrs. 
    McBath, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, and Mr. Bishop of Georgia) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., in 
recognition of his unique and substantial contributions across America 
  in lifting marginalized people, communities, and institutions that 
     continue to struggle for economic mobility, access to greater 
          opportunities, equity, and equality for all people.

    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 ``Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. Congressional Gold 
Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., was born April 12, 1950, in 
        Toccoa, Georgia, to Lizzie Dortch and Thomas W. Dortch, Sr., 
        and went on to become an influential leader and mentor as well 
        as a successful businessperson and crusader for equal justice.
            (2) After graduating from Whitman Street High School in 
        1968, Dortch attended Fort Valley State University in Fort 
        Valley, Georgia, and graduated with a bachelor of arts in 
        sociology in 1972. That year, he began his formal career by 
        seeking to aid disenfranchised people through proposing 
        projects for the State of Georgia. In 1974, he became the 
        associate director of the Georgia Democratic Party. In 1978, 
        Dortch began working as an administrative aide for Senator Sam 
        Nunn of Georgia and eventually became State Director, the first 
        African American to serve in this position. Dortch worked 
        tirelessly to represent the interests of small businesses, 
        minorities, and other marginalized individuals and 
        institutions.
            (3) In 1986, Dortch joined the 100 Black Men of America, an 
        international mentoring program intended to improve the quality 
        of life and opportunities for education and employment for 
        African Americans. He served as chairman of 100 Black Men of 
        Atlanta and became the chairman of 100 Black Men of America's 
        national board of directors. That same year, he earned his 
        master of arts in criminal justice administration from Clark 
        Atlanta University and married Carole Dortch.
            (4) In 1994, after more than 16 years of government 
        service, Dortch left his position to pursue his own business 
        interests. He became CEO of the consulting firm TWD, Inc., and 
        Atlanta Transportation Systems, Inc., a Fulton County 
        paratransit company. He still holds both positions.
            (5) Dortch has won numerous awards highlighting his 
        achievements, including a Presidential Citation for 
        volunteerism from President Barack Obama, the Martin Luther 
        King, Jr., Distinguished Service Award, and the Concerned Black 
        Clergy's Salute to Black Fathers Leadership Award. Dortch has 
        four children. His unique and substantial contributions across 
        America in lifting marginalized people, communities, and 
        institutions that continue to struggle for economic mobility, 
        access to greater opportunities, equity, and equality for all 
        people.
            (6) Dortch is an institution builder that included founding 
        the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation, 
        Inc., cofounding the Georgia Association of Minority 
        Entrepreneurs (GAME) to fill a void as an advocacy organization 
        for minority business development, and cofounding the Greater 
        Atlanta Economic Alliance as a capacity building and business 
        development organization for the construction and 
        transportation industries.
            (7) Dortch is the recipient of numerous awards and honors 
        that celebrate his efforts, a partial list includes: listed in 
        the 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 May editions of Ebony magazine 
        as one of the 100 Most Influential African Americans; listed in 
        Spring 2001 through 2014 Publications of Atlanta Business 
        Chronicle as one of the 100 Most Influential Atlantans; 2008 
        Community Service Professional of the Year Award; 2008 
        FraserNet Community Service Award; and 2008 Global Leadership 
        Empowerment Award.
            (8) Dortch's volunteer board service includes serving on 
        the Board of Trustees of Leadership Atlanta, Vice Chairman of 
        the Board, Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation, Chairman of the 
        Board, Friendship Force International, Chairman of the Board, 
        Fulton/DeKalb County Hospital Authority; 2010 was inducted into 
        Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau's Atlanta Hospitality 
        Hall of Fame; three-term Chairman of the Board, The Atlanta 
        Business League: Chair, Fort Valley State University Foundation 
        Board, Member of Operation Hope Board of Trustees, Florida 
        Agricultural and Mechanical University Board of Trustees, 
        Talladega College Board of Trustees, Clark Atlanta University 
        Board of Trustees, and Chairman of the Board, National 
        Coalition on Black Civic Participation.
            (9) In 2019, Dortch was inducted into the International 
        Civil Rights Walk of Fame. The Civil Rights Walk of Fame was 
        created to recognize the courageous soldiers of justice who 
        sacrificed and struggled to make equality a reality for all. 
        Dortch's footstep impression joined those of civil and human 
        rights icons, such as Rosa Parks, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond 
        Tutu, Ambassador Andrew Young, Congressman John Lewis, and 
        others.
            (10) Dortch's philanthropic and investment advice and 
        counsel, particularly to corporate America, have benefitted 
        countless minority organizations, institutions, and communities 
        across America to realize and grow their programming and 
        impact.
            (11) Dortch received honorary doctors degrees from 
        Fayetteville State University, Jarvis Christian College, Fort 
        Valley State University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, 
        and Livingstone College.
            (12) Dortch was recently honored by Clark Atlanta 
        University and the National Coalition on Black Civic 
        Participation in 2021 with the creation of the NCBCP Thomas W. 
        Dortch, Jr., Institute for Leadership, Civic Engagement, 
        Economic Empowerment, and Social Justice.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorization.--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 Thomas W. Dortch, 
Jr., in recognition of his unique and substantial contributions across 
America in lifting marginalized people, communities, and institutions 
that continue to struggle for economic mobility, access to greater 
opportunities, equity, and equality for all people.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to 
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a 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 
cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

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 sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 6. 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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