[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 132 (Thursday, August 3, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4892-S4894]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE AMERICAN LEGION 100TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT
Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be discharged from
further consideration of S. 1182 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 senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 1182) to require the Secretary of the Treasury
to mint commemorative coins in recognition of the 100th
anniversary of The American Legion.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Ms. MURKOWSKI. I ask unanimous consent that the Young amendment at
the desk be considered and agreed to, and the bill, as amended, be
considered read a third time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 772) was agreed to, as follows:
(Purpose: To improve the bill)
In section 7(d), in the subsection heading, strike ``GAO
Audit'' and insert ``Audit''.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read
the third time.
Ms. MURKOWSKI. I know of no further debate on the bill.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill having been read the third time, the
question is, Shall it pass?
The bill (S. 1182), as amended, was passed, as follows:
S. 1182
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 American Legion 100th
Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that--
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(1) on March 15, 1919, The American Legion was founded in
Paris, France, by members of the American Expeditionary Force
occupying Europe after World War I and concerned about the
welfare of their comrades and communities upon their return
to the United States;
(2) on September 16, 1919, Congress chartered The American
Legion, which quickly grew to become the largest veterans
service organization in the United States;
(3) The American Legion conferences in Washington, DC, in
1923 and 1924 crafted the first United States Flag Code,
which was adopted in schools, States, cities and counties
prior to being enacted in 1942, establishing the proper use,
display, and respect for the colors of the United States;
(4) during World War II, The American Legion developed and
presented to Congress its case for vastly improved support
for medically discharged, disabled veterans, which ultimately
became the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (58 Stat.
284; chapter 268), better known as the G.I. Bill of Rights,
and was drafted by former American Legion National Commander
Harry W. Colmery in Washington's Mayflower Hotel;
(5) through the leadership and advocacy of The American
Legion, the G.I. Bill was enacted in June 1944, which led to
monumental changes in United States society, including the
democratization of higher education, home ownership for
average people in the United States, better VA hospitals,
business and farm loans for veterans, and the ability to
appeal conditions of military discharge;
(6) defying those who argued the G.I. Bill would break the
Treasury, according to various researchers, the G.I. Bill
provided a tremendous return on investment of $7 to the
United States economy for every $1 spent on the program,
triggering a half-century of prosperity in the United States;
(7) after Hurricane Hugo in 1989, The American Legion
established the National Emergency Fund to provide immediate
cash relief for veterans who have been affected by natural
disasters;
(8) American Legion National Emergency Fund grants after
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, for instance, exceeded
$1,700,000;
(9) The American Legion fought to see the Veterans
Administration elevated to Cabinet-level status as the
Department of Veterans Affairs, ensuring support for veterans
would be set at the highest level of the Federal Government,
as a priority issue for the President;
(10) after a decades-long struggle to improve the
adjudication process for veterans disputing claims decisions,
The American Legion helped shape and introduce the Veterans
Reassurance Act to create a venue for judicial review of
veterans' appeals;
(11) building on these efforts, legislation was passed in
1988 to create the United States Court of Veterans Appeals,
today known as the United States Court of Appeals for
Veterans Claims;
(12) The American Legion created the American Legacy
Scholarship Fund for children of military members killed on
active duty on or after September 11, 2001;
(13) in 2016, The American Legion's National Executive
Committee amended the original scholarship criteria to
include children of veterans with 50 percent or greater VA
disability ratings;
(14) President George W. Bush signed into law the Post-9/11
Veterans Educational Assistance Act (title V of the
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008; 122 Stat. 2357), a
next-generation G.I. Bill strongly supported by The American
Legion and the most comprehensive educational benefits
package since the original G.I. Bill of Rights was enacted in
1944;
(15) in August 2018, The American Legion will begin its
centennial recognition at the 100th National Convention in
Minneapolis, Minnesota, the site of the first American Legion
National Convention; and
(16) in March 2019, the organization will celebrate its
100th birthday in Paris, France, and September 16, 2019, will
mark the 100th anniversary of The American Legion's Federal
charter.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--In recognition and celebration of the
100th anniversary of The American Legion, 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 a diameter of 0.850 inches; and
(C) contain not less than 90 percent gold.
(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 not less than 90 percent silver.
(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.
SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) In General.--The design for the coins minted under this
Act shall be emblematic of The American Legion.
(b) Designations and Inscriptions.--On each coin minted
under this Act there shall be--
(1) a designation of the denomination of the coin;
(2) an inscription of the year ``2019''; 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--
(A) the Commission of Fine Arts; and
(B) the Adjutant of The American Legion, as defined in the
constitution and bylaws of The American Legion; and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory
Committee.
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, 2019.
SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.
(a) Sale Price.--The coins issued under this Act shall be
sold by the Secretary at a price based upon 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, 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 described
under section 3(a)(2).
(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 American Legion for
costs related to--
(1) promoting the importance of, and caring for, those who
have served in uniform, ensuring they receive proper health
care and disability benefits earned through military service;
(2) promoting the importance of, and caring for, those who
are still serving in the Armed Forces;
(3) promoting the importance of maintaining the patriotic
values, morals, culture, and citizenship of the United
States; and
(4) promoting the importance of maintaining strong
families, assistance for at-risk children, and activities
that promote their healthy and wholesome development.
(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 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) Audit.--Each recipient described in subsection (b)
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).
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, 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.
Ms. MURKOWSKI. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider
be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
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