[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 104 (Thursday, July 12, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4980-S4981]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Banking 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2527 and the 
Senate proceed to its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 2527) to require the Secretary of the Treasury 
     to mint coins in recognition and celebration of the National 
     Baseball Hall of Fame.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that a Gillibrand substitute 
amendment, which is 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, 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 amendment (No. 2553) was agreed to, as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the `National Baseball Hall of 
     Fame Commemorative Coin Act'.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) On June 12, 1939, the National Baseball Hall of Fame 
     and Museum opened in Cooperstown, New York. Ty Cobb, Walter 
     Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, and Honus Wagner 
     comprised the inaugural class of inductees. This class set 
     the standard for all future inductees. Since 1939, just one 
     percent of all Major League Baseball players have earned 
     induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
       (2) The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is 
     dedicated to preserving history, honoring excellence, and 
     connecting generations through the rich history of our 
     national pastime. Baseball has mirrored our Nation's history 
     since the Civil War, and is now an integral part of our 
     Nation's heritage.

[[Page S4981]]

       (3) The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum 
     chronicles the history of our national pastime and houses the 
     world's largest collection of baseball artifacts, including 
     more than 38,000 three dimensional artifacts, 3,000,000 
     documents, 500,000 photographs, and 12,000 hours of recorded 
     media. This collection ensures that baseball history and its 
     unique connection to American history will be preserved and 
     recounted for future generations.
       (4) Since its opening in 1939, more than 14,000,000 
     baseball fans have visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame 
     and Museum to learn about the history of our national pastime 
     and the game's connection to the American experience.
       (5) The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an 
     educational institution, reaching 10,000,000 Americans 
     annually. Utilizing video conference technology, students and 
     teachers participate in interactive lessons led by educators 
     from the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum. These award-
     winning educational programs draw upon the wonders of 
     baseball to reach students in classrooms nationwide. Each 
     educational program uses baseball as a lens for teaching 
     young Americans important lessons on an array of topics, 
     including mathematics, geography, civil rights, women's 
     history, economics, industrial technology, arts, and 
     communication.

     SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

       (a) Denominations.--In recognition and celebration of the 
     National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Secretary of the Treasury 
     (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') 
     shall mint and issue the following coins:
       (1) $5 gold coins.--Not more than 50,000 $5 coins, which 
     shall--
       (A) weigh 8.359 grams;
       (B) have diameter of 0.850 inches; and
       (C) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloy.
       (2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 400,000 $1 coins, which 
     shall--
       (A) weigh 26.73 grams;
       (B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
       (C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
       (3) Half-dollar clad coins.--Not more than 750,000 half-
     dollar coins which shall--
       (A) weigh 11.34 grams;
       (B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and
       (C) be minted to the specifications for half-dollar coins 
     contained in section 5112(b) of title 31, United States Code.
       (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 sections 5134 and 
     5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under 
     this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
       (d) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that, 
     to the extent possible without significantly adding to the 
     purchase price of the coins, the $1 coins and $5 coins minted 
     under this Act should be produced in a fashion similar to the 
     2009 International Year of Astronomy coins issued by Monnaie 
     de Paris, the French Mint, so that the reverse of the coin is 
     convex to more closely resemble a baseball and the obverse 
     concave, providing a more dramatic display of the obverse 
     design chosen pursuant to section 4(c).

     SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.

       (a) In General.--The design for the coins minted under this 
     Act shall be--
       (1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with--
       (A) the National Baseball Hall of Fame;
       (B) the Commission of Fine Arts; and
       (2) reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory 
     Committee.
       (b) Designations 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 ``2014''; and
       (3) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God We 
     Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E Pluribus 
     Unum''.
       (c) Selection and Approval Process for Obverse Design.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall hold a competition to 
     determine the design of the common obverse of the coins 
     minted under this Act, with such design being emblematic of 
     the game of baseball.
       (2) Selection and approval.--Proposals for the design of 
     coins minted under this Act may be submitted in accordance 
     with the design selection and approval process developed by 
     the Secretary in the sole discretion of the Secretary. The 
     Secretary shall encourage 3-dimensional models to be 
     submitted as part of the design proposals.
       (3) Proposals.--As part of the competition described in 
     this subsection, the Secretary may accept proposals from 
     artists, engravers of the United States Mint, and members of 
     the general public.
       (4) Compensation.--The Secretary shall determine 
     compensation for the winning design under this subsection, 
     which shall be not less than $5,000. The Secretary shall take 
     into account this compensation amount when determining the 
     sale price described in section 6(a).
       (d) Reverse Design.--The design on the common reverse of 
     the coins minted under this Act shall depict a baseball 
     similar to those used by Major League Baseball.

     SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

       (a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be 
     issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
       (b) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins 
     minted under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning 
     on January 1, 2014.

     SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.

       (a) Sale Price.--The coins issued under this Act shall be 
     sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of--
       (1) the face value of the coins;
       (2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with respect to 
     such coins; and
       (3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including 
     labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, winning design 
     compensation, overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping).
       (b) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the 
     coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
       (c) Prepaid Orders.--
       (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) In General.--All sales of coins minted under this Act 
     shall include a surcharge as follows:
       (1) A surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin.
       (2) A surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 coin.
       (3) A surcharge of $5 per coin for the half-dollar coin.
       (b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, 
     United States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary 
     from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be 
     promptly paid by the Secretary to the National Baseball Hall 
     of Fame to help finance its operations.
       (c) Audits.--The National Baseball Hall of Fame shall be 
     subject to the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of 
     title 31, United States Code, with regard to the amounts 
     received under subsection (b).
       (d) 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 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.

     SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.

       The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary 
     to ensure that--
       (1) minting and issuing coins under this Act will not 
     result in any net cost to the United States Government; and
       (2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, are 
     disbursed to any recipient designated in section 7 until the 
     total cost of designing and issuing all of the coins 
     authorized by this Act (including labor, materials, dies, use 
     of machinery, winning design compensation, overhead expenses, 
     marketing, and shipping) is recovered by the United States 
     Treasury, consistent with sections 5112(m) and 5134(f) of 
     title 31, United States Code.

     SEC. 9. BUDGET COMPLIANCE.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the House of 
     Representatives, provided that such statement has been 
     submitted prior to the vote on passage.

  The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a 
third time.
  The bill (H.R. 2527), as amended, was read the third time and passed.

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