[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 18, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E775]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         INTRODUCING THE CATHERINE SKIVERS CURRENCY FOR ALL ACT

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                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 18, 2007

  Mr. STARK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Catherine 
Skivers Currency for All Act.
  This bill would finally make the United States' paper currency 
accessible to blind and visually impaired Americans. Of the more than 
180 countries in the world that issue their own banknotes, only the 
U.S. prints identical bills for every denomination. As a result, 
millions of Americans with visual impairments cannot recognize various 
denominations and may have difficulty using paper money. This 
legislation would, at long last, make our currency accessible to all.
  Thanks to a recent court case, the inaccessibility of American 
currency has received significant national attention. In November, a 
federal court agreed with the American Council of the Blind that the 
current size and shape of bills violates the Rehabilitation Act, which 
prohibits the government from discriminating against people with 
disabilities.
  The Treasury Department is appealing the decision. But Congress has 
the ability to do the right thing before the appeal is heard. I first 
introduced this bill in 1979 and think it is embarrassing that, more 
than 25 years later, blind Americans had to sue their government 
requesting access to their own currency. We should not delay or deny 
justice any longer.
  I propose this particular solution because it is simple, effective, 
and easy to implement quickly. My legislation requires the U.S. 
Treasury to trim the corners of all bills in a manner that prevents 
fraud, with lower value bills having more trimmed corners.
  My bill calls for the trimming of four corners on the one dollar 
bill, three corners on the two dollar bill, two diagonal corners on the 
five dollar bill, two corners on a long side of the ten dollar bill, 
two corners on a short side of the 20 dollar bill, one corner on the 50 
dollar bill, and no corners on the 100 dollar bill.
  I named this bill in honor of Catherine Skivers, a remarkable woman 
of strength and conviction. Catherine is a constituent of mine, mother 
of five, longtime advocate for the rights of blind people, and the 
immediate past president of the California Council of the Blind. It is 
for Catherine and millions of other blind and vision-impaired Americans 
that I will work to enact this legislation.
  Next to the flag of the United States, our money is perhaps the most 
widely recognized symbol of our nation. We deserve no less than a 
currency that serves the needs of all Americans. Let us not let another 
year pass with our currency in violation of our own laws and commitment 
to equality.

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