[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 133 (Friday, September 9, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5479-S5480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       FALLEN HEROES OF 9/11 ACT

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Banking 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 1239, and the 
Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

[[Page S5480]]

  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 (S. 1239) to provide for a medal of appropriate 
     design to be awarded by the President to the memorials 
     established at the 3 sites honoring the men and women who 
     perished as a result of the terrorist attacks on the United 
     States on September 11, 2001.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related 
to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 1239) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 1239

       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 ``Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act''.

     SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) the tragic deaths at the World Trade Center, at the 
     Pentagon, and in rural Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, 
     have forever changed our Nation;
       (2) the officers, emergency workers, and other employees of 
     State and local government agencies, including the Port 
     Authority of New York and New Jersey, and of the United 
     States government and others, who responded to the attacks on 
     the World Trade Center in New York City and perished as a 
     result of the tragic events of September 11, 2001 (including 
     those who are missing and presumed dead), took heroic and 
     noble action on that day;
       (3) the officers, emergency rescue workers, and employees 
     of local and United States government agencies, who responded 
     to the attack on the Pentagon in Washington, DC, took heroic 
     and noble action to evacuate the premises and prevent further 
     casualties of Pentagon employees;
       (4) the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, 
     recognizing the imminent danger that the aircraft that they 
     were aboard posed to large numbers of innocent men, women and 
     children, American institutions, and the symbols of American 
     democracy, took heroic and noble action to ensure that the 
     aircraft could not be used as a weapon; and
       (5) given the unprecedented nature of the attacks against 
     the United States of America and the need to properly 
     demonstrate the support of the country for those who lost 
     their lives to terrorism, it is fitting that their sacrifice 
     be recognized with the award of an appropriate medal.

     SEC. 3. FALLEN HEROES OF 9/11 CONGRESSIONAL MEDALS.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized, 
     on behalf of Congress, to award a medal of appropriate 
     design, such medal to be known as the ``Fallen Heroes of 9/11 
     Congressional Medal'', to--
       (1) the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania;
       (2) the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New 
     York; and
       (3) the Pentagon Memorial at the Pentagon.
       (b) Design and Striking.--
       (1) In general.--For purposes of the presentations referred 
     to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (in this 
     Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike 3 designs 
     of medals, with such suitable emblems, devices, and 
     inscriptions as the Secretary determines to be appropriate to 
     be representative of and in honor of, respectively--
       (A) those who lost their lives in the attack at the World 
     Trade Center, including civilians, public safety officers, 
     emergency workers, and the passengers and crew of American 
     Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175;
       (B) the passengers and crew aboard United Airlines Flight 
     93 that was brought down in rural Pennsylvania near 
     Shanksville, Somerset County; and
       (C) those who lost their lives at the Pentagon, including 
     the passengers and crew of American Airlines Flight 77.
       (2) Consultation.--Before making a final determination with 
     respect to the design of the medals under this subsection, 
     the Secretary shall consult with the Secretary of Defense and 
     such other parties as the Secretary may determine to be 
     appropriate.
       (3) Content of medals.--The medals struck for purposes of 
     subsection (a) shall be gold medals.

     SEC. 4. SALES OF DUPLICATE MEDALS TO THE PUBLIC TO DEFRAY 
                   COSTS.

       Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the 
     Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the 
     medals struck under section 3, at a price that is at least 
     sufficient to cover the costs thereof, including labor, 
     materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 
     Excess funds from the sales of the duplicate medals will be 
     distributed equally between the 3 memorial sites referred to 
     in section 3(a).

     SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS.

       The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals 
     for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

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