[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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