[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 154 (Friday, November 18, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13417-S13418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL DESEGREGATION 50TH ANNIVERSARY 
                         COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be discharged from 
further consideration of H.R. 358, and the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 358) Little Rock Central High School 
     Desegregation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to considerthe bill.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Pryor 
amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a 
third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, 
and any statements relating to the measure be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 2675) was agreed to, as follows:

              (Purpose: To provide a complete substitute)

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

[[Page S13418]]

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Little Rock Central High 
     School Desegregation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) September 2007, marks the 50th anniversary of the 
     desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in Little 
     Rock, Arkansas.
       (2) In 1957, Little Rock Central High was the site of the 
     first major national test for the implementation of the 
     historic decision of the United States Supreme Court in 
     Brown, et al. v. Board of Education of Topeka, et al., 347 
     U.S. 483 (1954).
       (3) The courage of the ``Little Rock Nine'' (Ernest Green, 
     Elizabeth Eckford, Melba Pattillo, Jefferson Thomas, Carlotta 
     Walls, Terrence Roberts, Gloria Ray, Thelma Mothershed, and 
     Minnijean Brown) who stood in the face of violence, was 
     influential to the Civil Rights movement and changed American 
     history by providing an example on which to build greater 
     equality.
       (4) The desegregation of Little Rock Central High by the 9 
     African American students was recognized by Dr. Martin Luther 
     King, Jr. as such a significant event in the struggle for 
     civil rights that in May 1958, he attended the graduation of 
     the first African American from Little Rock Central High 
     School.
       (5) A commemorative coin will bring national and 
     international attention to the lasting legacy of this 
     important event.

     SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

       (a) Denominations.--The Secretary of the Treasury 
     (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') 
     shall mint and issue not more than 500,000 $1 coins each of 
     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 Act 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 Act 
     shall be considered to be numismatic items.

     SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.

       (a) Design Requirements.--The design of the coins minted 
     under this Act shall be emblematic of the desegregation of 
     the Little Rock Central High School and its contribution to 
     civil rights in America.
       (b) Designation and Inscriptions.--On each coin minted 
     under this Act there shall be--
       (1) a designation of the value of the coin;
       (2) an inscription of the year ``2007''; and
       (3) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God We 
     Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E Pluribus 
     Unum''.
       (c) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this 
     Act shall be--
       (1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the 
     Commission of Fine Arts; and
       (2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee 
     established under section 5135 of title 31, United States 
     Code.

     SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

       (a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be 
     issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
       (b) Commencement of Issuance.--The Secretary may issue 
     coins minted under this Act beginning January 1, 2007, except 
     that the Secretary may initiate sales of such coins, without 
     issuance, before such date.
       (c) Termination of Minting Authority.--No coins shall be 
     minted under this Act after December 31, 2007.

     SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.

       (a) Sale Price.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, the coins issued under this Act shall be sold by the 
     Secretary at a price equal to the sum of the face value of 
     the coins, the surcharge required under section 7(a) for the 
     coins, and the cost of designing and issuing such coins 
     (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead 
     expenses, and marketing).
       (b) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the 
     coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
       (c) Prepaid Orders at a Discount.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders 
     for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of 
     such coins.
       (2) Discount.--Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders 
     under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.

     SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.

       (a) Surcharge Required.--All sales shall include a 
     surcharge of $10 per coin.
       (b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, 
     United States Code, and subsection (d), all surcharges which 
     are received by the Secretary from the sale of coins issued 
     under this Act shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to the 
     Secretary of the Interior for the protection, preservation, 
     and interpretation of resources and stories associated with 
     Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, 
     including the following:
       (1) Site improvements at Little Rock Central High School 
     National Historic Site.
       (2) Development of interpretive and education programs and 
     historic preservation projects.
       (3) Establishment of cooperative agreements to preserve or 
     restore the historic character of the Park Street and Daisy 
     L. Gatson Bates Drive corridors adjacent to the site.
       (c) Limitation.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), no 
     surcharge may be included with respect to the issuance under 
     this Act of any coin during a calendar year if, as of the 
     time of such issuance, the issuance of such coin would result 
     in the number of commemorative coin programs issued during 
     such year to exceed the annual 2 commemorative coin program 
     issuance limitation under section 5112(m)(1) of title 31, 
     United States Code (as in effect on the date of the enactment 
     of this Act). The Secretary of the Treasury may issue 
     guidance to carry out this subsection.
       (d) Creditable Funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision 
     of the law and recognizing the unique partnership nature of 
     the Department of Interior and the Little Rock School 
     District at the Little Rock Central High School National 
     Historic Site and the significant contributions made by the 
     Little Rock School District to preserve and maintain the 
     historic character of the high school, any non-Federal funds 
     expended by the school district (regardless of the source of 
     the funds) for improvements at the Little Rock Central High 
     School National Historic Site, to the extent such funds were 
     used for the purposes described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) 
     of subsection (b), shall be deemed to meet the requirement of 
     funds from private sources of section 5134(f)(1)(A)(ii) of 
     title 31, United States Code, with respect to the Secretary 
     of the Interior.

  The bill (H.R. 358), as amended, was passed.

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