[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 150 (Tuesday, October 20, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H11681-H11682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION BICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT

  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 1560) to require the Secretary of the 
Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the bicentennial of the 
Lewis & Clark Expedition, and for other purposes, with a Senate 
amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment, with an 
amendment.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The Clerk read the Senate amendment and the House amendment to the 
Senate amendment as follows:

       Senate amendment:
       Page 10, after line 2 insert:

     SEC. 11. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS FOR THE ``LITTLE ROCK 
                   NINE''.

       (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
       (1) Jean Brown Trickey, Carlotta Walls LaNier, Melba 
     Patillo Beals, Terrence Roberts, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Thelma 
     Mothershed Wair, Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, and 
     Jefferson Thomas, hereafter in this section referred to as 
     the ``Little Rock Nine'', voluntarily subjected themselves to 
     the bitter stinging pains of racial bigotry;
       (2) the Little Rock Nine are civil rights pioneers whose 
     selfless acts considerably advanced the civil rights debate 
     in this country;
       (3) the Little Rock Nine risked their lives to integrate 
     Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and 
     subsequently the Nation;
       (4) the Little Rock Nine sacrificed their innocence to 
     protect the American principle that we are all ``one nation, 
     under God, indivisible'';
       (5) the Little Rock Nine have indelibly left their mark on 
     the history of this Nation; and
       (6) the Little Rock Nine have continued to work toward 
     equality for all Americans.
       (b) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized 
     to present, on behalf of Congress, to Jean Brown Trickey, 
     Carlotta Walls LaNier, Melba Patillo Beals, Terrence Roberts, 
     Gloria Ray Karlmark, Thelma Mothershed Wair, Ernest Green, 
     Elizabeth Eckford, and Jefferson Thomas, commonly referred to 
     the ``Little Rock Nine'', gold medals of appropriate design, 
     in recognition of the selfless heroism that such individuals 
     exhibited and the pain they suffered in the cause of civil 
     rights by integrating Central High School in Little Rock, 
     Arkansas.
       (c) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
     referred to in subsection (b) the Secretary of the Treasury 
     shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and 
     inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary for each 
     recipient.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriation.--Effective October 1, 
     1998, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as 
     may be necessary to carry out this section.
       (e) Duplicate Medals.--
       (1) Striking and sale.--The Secretary of the Treasury may 
     strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medals 
     struck pursuant to this section 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.
       (2) Reimbursement of appropriation.--The appropriation used 
     to carry out this section shall be reimbursed out of the 
     proceeds of sales under paragraph (1).

     SEC. 12. FORD CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized 
     to present, on behalf of the Congress, to Gerald R. and Betty 
     Ford a gold medal of appropriate design--
       (1) in recognition of their dedicated public service and 
     outstanding humanitarian contributions to the people of the 
     United States; and
       (2) in commemoration of the following occasions in 1998:
       (A) The 85th anniversary of the birth of President Ford.
       (B) The 80th anniversary of the birth of Mrs. Ford.
       (C) The 50th wedding anniversary of President and Mrs. 
     Ford.
       (D) The 50th anniversary of the 1st election of Gerald R. 
     Ford to the United States House of Representatives.
       (E) The 25th anniversary of the approval of Gerald R. Ford 
     by the Congress to become Vice President of the United 
     States.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
     referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and 
     inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriation.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated not to exceed $20,000 to carry out this 
     section.
       (d) Duplicate Medals.--
       (1) Striking and sale.--The Secretary of the Treasury may 
     strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck 
     pursuant to this section 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.
       (2) Reimbursement of appropriation.--The appropriation used 
     to carry out this section shall be reimbursed out of the 
     proceeds of sales under paragraph (1).
       (e) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this 
     section are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of 
     title 31, United States Code.

     SEC. 13. 6-MONTH EXTENSION FOR CERTAIN SALES.

       Notwithstanding section 101(7)(D) of the United States 
     Commemorative Coin Act of 1996, the Secretary of the Treasury 
     may, at any time before January 1, 1999, make bulk sales at a 
     reasonable discount to the Jackie Robinson Foundation of not 
     less than 20 percent of any denomination of proof and 
     uncirculated coins minted under section 101(7) of such Act 
     which remained unissued as of July 1, 1998, except that the 
     total number of coins of any such denomination which were 
     issued under such section or this section may not exceed the 
     amount of such denomination of coins which were authorized to 
     be minted and issued under section 101(7)(A) of such Act.

  House amendment to Senate amendment:

       In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the 
     Senate--
       (1) insert after the enacting clause, the following new 
     heading (and redesignate sections 1 through 10 as sections 
     101 through 110, respectively):
     ``TITLE I--LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION BICENTENNIAL COIN''; and
       (2) add at the end the following new title:
         TITLE II--LEIF ERICSSON MILLENNIUM COMMEMORATIVE COIN

     SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``Leif Ericsson Millennium 
     Commemorative Coin Act''.

     SEC. 202. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

       (a) $1 Silver Coins.--In conjunction with the simultaneous 
     mining and issuance of commemorative coins by the Republic of 
     Iceland in commemoration of the millennium of the discovery 
     of the New World by Leif Ericsson, the Secretary of the 
     Treasury (hereafter in this title referred to as the 
     ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue not more than 500,000 1 
     dollar coins, which shall--
       (1) weigh 26.73 grams;
       (2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
       (3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
       (b) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this title shall 
     be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, 
     United States Code.
       (c) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5136 of 
     title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this 
     title shall be considered to be numismatic items.

     SEC. 203. SOURCES OF BULLION.

       The Secretary may obtain silver for minting coins under 
     this title from any available source, including stockpiles 
     established under the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock 
     Piling Act.

     SEC. 204. DESIGN OF COINS.

       (a) Design Requirements.--
       (1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this 
     title shall be emblematic of the millennium of the discovery 
     of the New World by Leif Ericsson.
       (2) Designation and inscriptions.--On each coin minted 
     under this title there shall be--
       (A) a designation of the value of the coin;
       (B) an inscription of the year ``2000''; and
       (C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God We 
     Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E Pluribus 
     Unum''.
       (b) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this 
     title shall be--
       (1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the 
     Leifur Eiriksson Foundation and the Commission of Fine Arts; 
     and
       (2) reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory 
     Committee.

     SEC. 205. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

       (a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this title shall 
     be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
       (b) Mint Facility.--Only 1 facility of the United States 
     Mint may be used to strike any particular quality of the 
     coins minted under this title.
       (c) Commencement of Issuance.--The Secretary may issue 
     coins minted under this title beginning January 1, 2000.
       (d) Termination of Minting Authority.--No coins may be 
     minted under this title after December 31, 2000.

     SEC. 206. SURCHARGES.

       (a) In General.--All sales of coins minted under this title 
     shall include a surcharge of $10 per coin.
       (b) Distribution.--All surcharges received by the Secretary 
     from the sale of coins issued under this title shall be 
     promptly paid by the Secretary to the Leifur Eiriksson 
     Foundation for the purpose of funding student exchanges 
     between students of the United States and students of 
     Iceland.
       (c) Audits.--The Leifur Eiriksson Foundation shall be 
     subject to the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of 
     title 31, United States Code, with regard to the amounts 
     received by the Foundation under subsection (b).

     SEC. 207. GENERAL WAIVER OF PROCUREMENT REGULATIONS.

       (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), no 
     provision of law governing procurement or public contracts 
     shall be applicable to the procurement of goods and services 
     necessary for carrying out the provisions of this title.
       (b) Equal Employment Opportunity.--Subsection (a) shall not 
     relieve any person entering into a contract under the 
     authority

[[Page H11682]]

     of this Act from complying with any law relating to equal 
     employment opportunity.

  Mr. CASTLE (during the reading). Mr. Speaker I ask unanimous consent 
that the amendments be considered as read and printed in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Delaware?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the original request 
of the gentleman from Delaware.
  There was no objection.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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