[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 44 (Thursday, March 5, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1612-S1613]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NEGRO LEAGUES BASEBALL CENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be discharged from 
further consideration of S. 2321 and the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2321) to require the Secretary of the Treasury 
     to mint a coin in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of 
     the establishment of Negro Leagues baseball.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the Blunt substitute 
amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as 
amended, be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[[Page S1613]]

  The amendment (No. 1523), in the nature of a substitute, 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 ``Negro Leagues Baseball 
     Centennial Commemorative Coin Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the 
     establishment of the Negro National League, a professional 
     baseball league formed in response to African-American 
     players being banned from the major leagues.
       (2) On February 13, 1920, Andrew ``Rube'' Foster convened a 
     meeting of 8 independent African-American baseball team 
     owners at the Paseo YMCA in Kansas City, Missouri, to form a 
     ``league of their own,'' establishing the Negro National 
     League, the first successful, organized professional African-
     American baseball league in the United States.
       (3) Soon, additional leagues formed in eastern and southern 
     States.
       (4) The Negro Leagues would operate for 40 years until 
     1960.
       (5) The story of the Negro Leagues is a story of strong-
     willed athletes who forged a glorious history in the midst of 
     an inglorious era of segregation in the United States.
       (6) The passion of the Negro Leagues players for the 
     ``National Pastime'' would not only change the game, but also 
     the United States.
       (7) The creation of the Negro Leagues provided a playing 
     field for more than 2,600 African-American and Hispanic 
     baseball players to showcase their world-class baseball 
     abilities.
       (8) The Negro Leagues introduced an exciting brand of 
     baseball that was in stark contrast to Major League Baseball.
       (9) A fast, aggressive style of play attracted black and 
     white fans who sat together to watch those games at a time 
     when it was virtually unheard of to interact socially in such 
     a way.
       (10) Negro Leagues baseball would become a catalyst for 
     economic development across the United States in major urban 
     centers such as Kansas City, St. Louis, New York, Memphis, 
     Baltimore, Washington, DC, Chicago, and Atlanta.
       (11) The Negro Leagues pioneered ``Night Baseball'' in 
     1930, 5 years before Major League Baseball, and would 
     introduce game-changing innovations such as shin guards and 
     the batting helmet.
       (12) The Negro Leagues helped make the National Pastime a 
     global game as players from the Negro Leagues--
       (A) were the first people from the United States to play in 
     many Spanish-speaking countries; and
       (B) introduced professional baseball to the Japanese in 
     1927.
       (13) Jackie Robinson, a military veteran and former member 
     of the Negro Leagues' Kansas City Monarchs, would break Major 
     League Baseball's color barrier on April 15, 1947, with the 
     Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for other African-American 
     and Hispanic baseball players.
       (14) The Negro Leagues were born out of segregation yet 
     would become a driving force for social change in the United 
     States.
       (15) The Negro Leagues produced future Major League 
     Baseball stars, including Leroy ``Satchel'' Paige, Larry 
     Doby, Willie Mays, Henry Aaron, Ernie Banks, and Roy 
     Campanella.
       (16) The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum was established in 
     Kansas City, Missouri, in 1990--
       (A) to save from extinction a precious piece of Americana 
     and baseball history; and
       (B) to use the many life lessons of the powerful story of 
     triumph over adversity of Negro Leagues players to promote 
     tolerance, diversity, and inclusion.
       (17) In 2006, Congress granted National Designation to the 
     Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, recognizing it as ``America's 
     Home'' for Negro Leagues baseball history.

     SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

       (a) Denominations.--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 400,000 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 section 5134 of 
     title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this Act 
     shall be considered to be numismatic items.

     SEC. 4. DESIGNS OF COINS.

       (a) Design Requirements.--
       (1) In general.--The designs of the coins minted under this 
     Act shall be emblematic of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum 
     and its mission to promote tolerance, diversity, and 
     inclusion.
       (2) Designation and inscriptions.--On each coin minted 
     under this Act there shall be--
       (A) a designation of the value of the coin;
       (B) an inscription of the year ``2022''; and
       (C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God We 
     Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E Pluribus 
     Unum''.
       (b) Selection.--The designs for the coins minted under this 
     Act shall be--
       (1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the 
     Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the Commission of Fine 
     Arts; and
       (2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage 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) Mint Facilities.--Only 1 facility of the United States 
     Mint may be used to strike any particular quality of the 
     coins minted under this Act.
       (c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins 
     minted under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning 
     on January 1, 2022.

     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, 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 issued under this Act 
     shall include a surcharge of--
       (1) $35 per coin for the $5 coin;
       (2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin; and
       (3) $5 per coin for the half-dollar coin.
       (b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f)(1) 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 Negro Leagues 
     Baseball Museum for educational and outreach programs and 
     exhibits.
       (c) Audits.--The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum 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 2 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, 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. MARKETING AND EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN.

       The Secretary shall develop and execute a marketing, 
     advertising, promotional, and educational program to promote 
     the collecting of the coins authorized under this subsection.

  The bill (S. 2321), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.

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