    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Public Law 113-116
    113th Congress

    An Act

    To grant the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the Monuments
    Men, in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation,
    protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of
    cultural importance during and following World War II. <>

    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 ``Monuments Men Recognition Act of
    2014''.
    SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
    (1) On June 23, 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt formed
    the ``American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of
    Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas''.
    (2) The Commission established the Monuments, Fine Arts, and
    Archives (``MFAA'') Section under the Allied Armies.
    (3) The men and women serving in the MFAA Section were
    referred to as the ``Monuments Men''.
    (4) These individuals had expertise as museum directors,
    curators, art historians, artists, architects, and educators.
    (5) In December 1943, General Dwight D. Eisenhower empowered
    the Monuments Men by issuing orders to all commanders that
    stated they must respect monuments ``so far as war allows''.
    (6) Initially the Monuments Men were intended to protect and
    temporarily repair the monuments, churches, and cathedrals of
    Europe suffering damage due to combat.
    (7) Hitler and the Nazis engaged in a pre-meditated, mass
    theft of art and stored priceless works in thousands of art
    repositories throughout Europe.
    (8) The Monuments Men adapted their mission to identify,
    preserve, catalogue, and repatriate almost 5,000,000 artistic
    and cultural items which they discovered.
    (9) This magnitude of cultural preservation was
    unprecedented during a time of conflict.
    (10) The Monuments Men grew to no more than 350 individuals
    and joined front line military forces; two Monuments Men lost
    their lives in action.
    (11) Following the Allied victory, the Monuments Men
    remained abroad to rebuild cultural life in Europe through
    organizing art exhibitions and concerts.

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    (12) Many of the Monuments Men became renowned directors and
    curators of preeminent international cultural institutions,
    professors at institutions of higher education, and founders of
    artistic associations both before and after the war.
    (13) The Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of
    Art was founded in 2007 to honor the legacy of the men and women
    who served as Monuments Men.
    (14) There are only five surviving members of the Monuments
    Men as of December 2013.
    SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
    Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make
    appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of the
    Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration to
    Monuments Men, in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation,
    protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of
    cultural importance during and following World War II.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred
    to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this
    Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable
    emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
    (c) Smithsonian Institution.--
    (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in
    honor of the Monuments Men, the gold medal shall be given to the
    Smithsonian Institution, where it will be available for display
    as appropriate and available for research.
    (2) Sense of the congress.--It is the sense of the Congress
    that the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal
    awarded pursuant to this Act available for display elsewhere,
    particularly at appropriate locations associated with the
    Monuments Men, and that preference should be given to locations
    affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution.
    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. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this Act are
    national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States
    Code.

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    (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of title 31,
    United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be considered
    to be numismatic items.

    Approved June 9, 2014.

    LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 3658:
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    CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 160 (2014):
    May 19, considered and passed House.
    May 20, considered and passed Senate.