[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2762 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2762

  To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Robert Cleckler 
 (``Bobby'') Bowden, in honor of his achievements both on and off the 
                            football field.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 12, 2023

    Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself and Mr. Rubio) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                  Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Robert Cleckler 
 (``Bobby'') Bowden, in honor of his achievements both on and off the 
                            football field.

    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 ``Robert Cleckler (`Bobby') Bowden 
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Robert Cleckler (``Bobby'') Bowden (referred to in this 
        Act as ``Bobby Bowden'') was born on November 8, 1929, in 
        Birmingham, Alabama.
            (2) Bobby Bowden served as the head coach of the Florida 
        State University Seminoles from 1976 to 2009.
            (3) At Florida State University, teams coached by Bobby 
        Bowden won 2 national championships (in 1993 and 1999) and 12 
        Atlantic Coast Conference titles.
            (4) Bobby Bowden posted a 316-97-4 record in his 34 years 
        at Florida State University.
            (5) Throughout his entire 44 years of coaching college 
        football, Bobby Bowden won a total of 377 games, making him one 
        of the winningest coaches in college football history.
            (6) Bobby Bowden and his wife, Ann Estock, his childhood 
        sweetheart, were married for 72 years, with 6 children and 21 
        grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
            (7) In 1999, in an event that was the first of its kind in 
        the history of Division I-A football, Bobby Bowden coached what 
        would be the first of many games against a team coached by his 
        son, which was termed ``The Bowden Bowl''.
            (8) In 2004, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes began 
        presenting an annual ``Bobby Bowden Award'' to a football 
        player for philanthropic work.
            (9) In 2011, Bobby Bowden was awarded the ``Children's 
        Champion Award for Leadership Development'' by the Children's 
        Hunger Fund, a charitable organization, in recognition of his 
        humanitarian work.
            (10) In 2021, Bobby Bowden received the inaugural Medal of 
        Freedom Award from the Governor of Florida.
            (11) Bobby Bowden leaves a legacy of leadership for his 
        contributions on the football field and in his community.
            (12) While Bobby Bowden is recognized for his many football 
        accomplishments, he will also be remembered as a family man who 
        counted all as part of his family and encouraged recognizing 
        the humanity of every individual and loving others as brothers 
        and sisters.
            (13) Bobby Bowden believed each individual had merit and 
        the United States is better for his legacy.
            (14) The spirit that Bobby Bowden embodied is the spirit of 
        the United States, of which the people of the United States can 
        be proud and seek to emulate in both large and small ways.
            (15) Bobby Bowden never asked for accolades, and for this, 
        and the totality of his life and his love, he should be honored 
        in perpetuity.

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 posthumous presentation, on behalf of 
Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to commemorate the life 
of Bobby Bowden, in recognition of his achievements both on and off the 
football field.
    (b) Design and Striking.--
            (1) In general.--For the purpose of the award 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.
            (2) Image.--The emblems, devices, and inscriptions 
        determined by the Secretary shall include an inscription of the 
        name of Robert Cleckler (``Bobby'') Bowden.
    (c) Disposition of Medal.--Following the award of the gold medal 
under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the next of kin 
of Bobby Bowden.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    (a) Striking of Duplicates.--The Secretary may strike duplicates in 
bronze of the gold medal struck under section 3.
    (b) Selling of Duplicates.--The Secretary may sell such duplicates 
under subsection (a) at a price sufficient to cover the costs of such 
duplicates, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. 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.

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 
pursuant to 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.
                                 <all>