[106th Congress Public Law 153]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


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[DOCID: f:publ153.106]

Public Law 106-153
106th Congress

                                 An Act


 
   To authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the 
     Congress to Father Theodore M. Hesburgh, in recognition of his 
     outstanding and enduring contributions to civil rights, higher 
       education, the Catholic Church, the Nation, and the global 
            community. <<NOTE: Dec. 9, 1999 -  [H.R. 1932]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress <<NOTE: Father Theodore M. Hesburgh 
Congressional Gold Medal Act. 31 USC 5111 note.>> assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Father Theodore M. Hesburgh 
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) Father Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., has made 
        outstanding and enduring contributions to American society 
        through his activities in civil rights, higher education, the 
        Catholic Church, the Nation, and the global community;
            (2) Father Hesburgh was a charter member of the United 
        States Commission on Civil Rights from its creation in 1957 and 
        served as chairperson of the Commission from 1969 to 1972;
            (3) Father Hesburgh was president of the University of Notre 
        Dame from 1952 until 1987, and has been president emeritus since 
        1987;
            (4) Father Hesburgh is a national and international leader 
        in higher education;
            (5) Father Hesburgh has been honored with the Elizabeth Ann 
        Seton Award from the National Catholic Education Association and 
        with more than 130 honorary degrees;
            (6) Father Hesburgh served as co-chairperson of the 
        nationally influential Knight Commission on Intercollegiate 
        Athletics and as chairperson, from 1994 to 1996, of the Board of 
        Overseers of Harvard University;
            (7) Father Hesburgh served under President Ford as a member 
        of the Presidential Clemency Board, charged with deciding the 
        fates of persons committing offenses during the Vietnam 
        conflict;
            (8) Father Hesburgh served as chairman of the board of the 
        Overseas Development Council and in that capacity led 
        fundraising efforts that averted mass starvation in Cambodia in 
        1979 and 1980;
            (9) Father Hesburgh served from 1979 to 1981 as chairperson 
        of the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy, 
        which made recommendations that served as the basis of 
        congressional reform legislation enacted 5 years later;
            (10) Father Hesburgh served as ambassador to the 1979 United 
        Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development; 
        and
            (11) Father Hesburgh has served the Catholic Church in a 
        variety of capacities, including his service from 1956 to 1970 
        as the permanent Vatican representative to the International 
        Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna and his service as a member of 
        the Holy See's delegation to the United Nations.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized to 
present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal of appropriate design 
to Father Theodore M. Hesburgh in recognition of his outstanding and 
enduring contributions to civil rights, higher education, the Catholic 
Church, the Nation, and the global community.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred 
to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (in this Act 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with 
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 
Secretary.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to section 3 under such regulations as the 
Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost 
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.

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.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the Numismatic Public Enterprise Fund an amount not to 
exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the medal authorized by this Act.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sales of duplicate 
bronze medals under section 4 shall be deposited in the Numismatic 
Public Enterprise Fund.

    Approved December 9, 1999.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 1932:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 145 (1999):
            Oct. 12, considered and passed House.
            Nov. 19, considered and passed Senate.

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