119-hr5521

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5521 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5521

 To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Peace Corps volunteers, in 
recognition of their outstanding accomplishments, continuous dedication 
 to world peace and friendship, and their honorable service to the 
 Nation for 65 years.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 19, 2025

Ms. McCollum (for herself, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Bergman, 
and Mr. Landsman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
 the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Peace Corps volunteers, in 
recognition of their outstanding accomplishments, continuous dedication 
 to world peace and friendship, and their honorable service to the 
 Nation for 65 years.

 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 ``Peace Corps Volunteers Congressional 
Gold Medal Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATED TO RECOGNITION OF PEACE 
 CORPS VOLUNTEERS.

    (a) 

=== Findings ===
-The Congress finds the following:

    (1) In 2026, our Nation celebrates the 65th anniversary of 
 the establishment of the Peace Corps, one of the most 
 beneficial and celebrated international assistance programs in 
 the world.

    (2) Nearly 250,000 Peace Corps Volunteers (in this section 
 referred to as the ``Volunteers'') have served our Nation with 
 distinction. Volunteers have been integral in promoting world 
 peace and friendship in more than 140 countries around the 
 globe. Their expertise in a wide variety of sectors, including 
 agriculture, community economic development, education, 
 environment, health, and youth in development, has contributed 
 significantly to the needs of foreign countries on many levels.

    (3) The Congressional Gold Medal is intended to honor those 
 Volunteers who served between August 28, 1961, when the first 
 Volunteers departed from the United States for Ghana, and 
 December 31, 2026.

    (4) President John F. Kennedy expressed his call to service 
 for Americans during his inaugural address on January 20, 1961, 
 when he said, ``And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your 
 country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. 
 My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do 
 for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.''.

    (5) On March 1, 1961, President Kennedy signed Executive 
 Order 10924 (26 Fed. Reg. 1789) establishing the Peace Corps. 
 At a State Department press conference after signing the 
 Executive order, President Kennedy said, ``We will send those 
 abroad who are committed to the concept which motivates the 
 Peace Corps. It will not be easy. None of the men and women 
 will be paid a salary. They will live at the same level as the 
 citizens of the country which they are sent to, doing the same 
 work, eating the same food, speaking the same language. We are 
 going to put particular emphasis on those men and women who 
 have skills in teaching, agriculture, and in health. I am 
 hopeful it will be a source of satisfaction to Americans and a 
 contribution to world peace.''.

    (6) When President Kennedy signed the Peace Corps Act (22 
 U.S.C. 2501 et seq.) on September 22, 1961, providing the 
 legislative foundation for the Peace Corps, the White House 
 released a statement saying, ``With the enactment of this 
 legislation, an avenue is provided by which Americans can serve 
 their country in the cause of world peace and understanding and 
 simultaneously assist other nations toward their legitimate 
 goals of freedom and opportunity.''.

    (7) Individuals across our Nation were inspired to serve as 
 Volunteers supported by the leadership and vision of Sargent 
 Shriver, who served as the first Director of the Peace Corps 
 from 1961 to 1966. The Volunteers shared his vision, which 
 became the mission of the Peace Corps: ``To promote world peace 
 and friendship through community-based development and 
 intercultural understanding.''. Volunteers were strongly 
 encouraged to respect local customs, learn the prevailing 
 language, and live in comparable conditions.

    (8) Volunteers' service is guided by the 3 goals of the 
 Peace Corps:
        (A) ``To help the countries interested in meeting 
 their need for trained people.''. Volunteers exchange 
 skills and knowledge with community members in their 
 welcoming host countries to help create sustainable 
 change through work in the sectors described in 
 paragraph

    (2) .
        (B) ``To help promote a better understanding of 
 Americans on the part of the peoples served.''. Through 
 their service, Volunteers share the United States and 
 its values. Their outstanding contributions to the 
 nations of the world help promote cultural 
 understanding.
            (C) ``To help promote a better understanding of 
 other peoples on the part of Americans.''. Volunteers 
 immerse themselves in local cultures, and learn about 
 opportunities, resources, and people in their host 
 countries. When they return to the United States, they 
 share their experiences with family, friends, and the 
 public, which helps promote cultural understanding, 
 volunteerism, and public service.

    (9) During a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House on 
 April 23, 1985, accompanied by Vice President George H.W. Bush 
 and Peace Corps Director Loret Miller Ruppe, President Ronald 
 Reagan wished Volunteers success for their assignments in 
 Africa, saying, ``Soon you'll be in Africa, where you'll be a 
 vital part of the relief aid to help the millions suffering 
 from malnutrition and starvation. You'll be living in some of 
 the most impoverished countries of the world, working in food 
 production, soil conservation, fisheries production, forest 
 preservation, and water supply development. By bringing your 
 training and skills to bear on the underlying problems of 
 agricultural and economic development, you can help your host 
 nations make the difficult but vital journey from dependence on 
 short-term aid to self-sufficiency. Vice President Bush 
 returned from his trip to the famine-stricken regions of 
 Africa, he gave me a personal account of the heartbreaking 
 conditions in that land. While there, he visited one Peace 
 Corps project, and he told me of the outstanding work of the 
 Peace Corps volunteers. The crisis in Africa is severe and the 
 problems deeply rooted, but relief efforts are already making a 
 great difference.''.

    (10) Peace Corps senior leaders, staff, and Volunteers have 
 honored President Kennedy's vision for the Peace Corps and his 
 legacy. During a March 1, 1996, speech for the 35th anniversary 
 of the Peace Corps, Sargent Shriver said, ``The Peace Corps 
 represents some, if not all, of the best virtues in this 
 society. It stands for everything that America has ever stood 
 for. It stands for everything we believe in and hope to achieve 
 in the world.''.

    (11) The Peace Corps, since its pioneering creation by 
 President Kennedy and an ensuing 65 years of support by the 
 Federal Government, has proven to be one of the most successful 
 United States foreign policy programs in the history of our 
 Nation. The importance of the Peace Corps was reinforced in a 
 May 24, 2017, opinion article by General Colin Powell, retired 
 Secretary of State, when he said, ``Indeed, we're strongest 
 when the face of America isn't only a soldier carrying a gun 
 but a diplomat negotiating peace, a Peace Corps Volunteer 
 bringing clean water to a village, or a relief worker stepping 
 off a cargo plane as floodwaters rise.''.

    (12) The global accomplishments of Volunteers toward world 
 peace and friendship and their resolute service to the United 
 States are deserving of robust public recognition and respect. 
 As President Kennedy said, after signing Executive Order 10924 
 (26 Fed. Reg. 1789) creating the Peace Corps, ``The initial 
 reactions to the Peace Corps proposal are convincing proof that 
 we have, in this country, an immense reservoir of such men and 
 women--anxious to sacrifice their energies and time and toil to 
 the cause of world peace and human progress.''.

    (13) Some Volunteers made the ultimate sacrifice while in 
 service. According to the Fallen Peace Corps Volunteers 
 Memorial Project, more than 300 Volunteers have died in 
 service, or following close of service as a result of service-
 related causes, since the Peace Corps began in 1961. Their 
 significant sacrifices and service to our Nation and their host 
 countries should be honored with reverence.

    (14) During the COVID-19 pandemic, over 7,000 Volunteers 
 were recalled from their work in host countries. Though they 
 were evacuated for health reasons from their assigned projects, 
 they continued to volunteer when they returned to the United 
 States to support the national response to a global health 
 crisis. Former Peace Corps Director, Josephine

    (Jody) Olsen, 
 who supervised the complex and immediate recall process, wrote, 
 ``Odysseys by individual Peace Corps Volunteers forged over six 
 decades made the total evacuation of seven thousand Volunteers 
 due of Covid-19 in 2020 possible. As I sent out the immediate 
 evacuation order on March 15, I trusted that in sixty-one 
 countries, the thousands of host country families, teachers, 
 clinic directors, local taxi drivers, community security 
 officers, airlines, and medical officials that support 
 Volunteers would selflessly offer their help. These thousands 
 shared painful good-byes and supported the safe movement of all 
 of the volunteers to capital cities, international airports, 
 charter flights to the US over the course of nine days without 
 illness or accident.''. When Volunteers returned to the United 
 States, many shifted their work to support domestic 
 initiatives, including COVID-19 surveillance and health 
 programs in collaboration with the Environmental Protection 
 Agency. The EPA connected Volunteers who returned to the United 
 States with roles in public health for pandemic response 
 efforts in the United States. Meanwhile, the Peace Corps 
 launched the Virtual Service Pilot, allowing Volunteers who 
 returned to the United States and other United States citizens 
 to work remotely with international partners on community 
 projects across sectors like health, education, and 
 agriculture. The Virtual Service Pilot expanded rapidly, 
 demonstrating the potential for virtual service to complement 
 traditional Peace Corps work, providing flexible opportunities 
 for such Volunteers to contribute globally from home.

    (15) Returned Volunteers promote a better understanding of 
 other peoples and cultures when they share their experiences 
 and knowledge about their service overseas with Americans at 
 home, the third goal of the Peace Corps described in paragraph 
 8
            (C) . With regard to the third goal, the Peace Corps' 
 Congressional Budget Justification for Fiscal Year 2026 states 
 that by increasing mutual understanding and lasting ties 
 between the people of the United States and other countries, 
 the Peace Corps helps create better trading partners, 
 strengthens relationships with allies, inhibits extremism, and 
 counteracts the growing influence of America's adversaries. 
 Volunteers strengthen U.S. national security through improved 
 relations with host governments and by showcasing America as an 
 international leader. The agency also helps cultivate the next 
 generation of U.S. civic and business leaders. Volunteers 
 return home and, for long after the conclusion of their 
 service, contribute the adaptive leadership and entrepreneurial 
 skills they gained during service to American communities.

    (16) On December 6, 1987, about 120,000 Volunteers and 
 Peace Corps staff received the Beyond War Award. The 
 inscription on the poster for the recipients of the award 
 reads, ``Presented to the 120,000 Current and Returned 
 Volunteers of the Peace Corps `to learn peace, to live peace, 
 and to labor for peace, from the beginning of their service to 
 the end of their lives.' A Peace Corps mission statement.''.

    (17) Members of the 107th Congress nominated the Peace 
 Corps for the Nobel Peace Prize. In a June 27, 2002, letter to 
 the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, 10 members of the 107th 
 Congress signed the letter saying, ``The impact of Volunteers 
 on international peace through understanding and cooperation 
 goes far beyond development projects. Volunteers bring people 
 and cultures together. They share ideas and ideals of their 
 home community, but they also learn to speak the language, eat 
 the food, sing the songs, and incorporate the qualities of 
 their host communities into their own lives. They travel 
 overseas to represent the United States, and they return home 
 to represent the world within the United States. The central 
 mission of all Volunteers, both overseas and after they return 
 home, is peace. The Peace Corps and the community of Returned 
 Peace Corps Volunteers, represented by the National Peace Corps 
 Association, create the climate, the conditions, the momentum, 
 and the spirit of peace that is needed all over the world. For 
 this reason, they deserve the Nobel Peace Prize.''.

    (18) In February 2011, Members of the 112th Congress 
 recommended to President Barack Obama that the Peace Corps 
 should be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. The letter to 
 President Obama, authored by Congressman Sam Farr, said, ``For 
 a half-century Peace Corps has served as a vehicle of peace and 
 hope for impoverished communities around the world. Now more 
 than ever, as the world suffers from divisive transnational 
 conflicts and escalating threats, Peace Corps continues to 
 stand as an unparalleled beacon of peace and optimism. 
 Bestowing the Peace Corps with the Nobel Peace Prize will 
 undoubtedly work to promote volunteerism and inspire the next 
 generation of Americans to be peaceful stewards of both their 
 country and the world.''.

    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--

    (1) the Volunteers should be acknowledged and thanked 
 publicly for their service to the United States and their host 
 countries whenever the appropriate occasions arise. Retired 
 United States Navy Admiral James Stavridis, former North 
 Atlantic Treaty Organization Supreme Allied Commander, said, 
 ``What someone brings when they come back from typically two 
 years [of Peace Corps service] is just a remarkable sense of 
 our nation and a remarkable sense of the world, and really a . 
 . . stronger sense of themselves and being part of those bigger 
 things. As a retired military guy . . . people constantly come 
 up to me and say, `Admiral, thank you for your service.' And it 
 means a lot to me. It means a lot to every veteran to hear 
 that. So whenever I do an interview where I have a chance to, I 
 say to Peace Corps Volunteers, `Thank you for your service.''';

    (2) the people of the United States are grateful and 
 indebted to Volunteers for their excellence in numerous 
 professional fields, their essential and dedicated 
 contributions to communities of their host countries, their 
 effective means of communicating the American spirit of peace 
 and friendship, and for their sharing of their experiences 
 overseas with individuals in the United States;

    (3) on behalf of the United States, Congress expresses the 
 highest public gratitude for the distinguished contributions of 
 Volunteers for 65 years. The Congressional Gold Medal is an 
 appropriate award to recognize the outstanding achievements of 
 Volunteers for their valued service to the United States, and 
 their role in promoting world peace and friendship, as a 
 significant component of United States foreign policy; and

    (4) the production of the gold medal be expedited so that 
 the medal can be presented to the Peace Corps at a respectful 
 ceremony, either at the Capitol Rotunda or at another suitable 
 location, not later than September 22, 2026.

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 single gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration 
to the Director of the Peace Corps in the District of Columbia, in 
recognition of the Peace Corps volunteers and their dedicated and 
distinguished service to our Nation and promotion of world peace and 
friendship.

    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
described 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.
            (c) The Peace Corps.--

    (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal 
 under subsection

    (a) , the gold medal shall be given to the 
 Peace Corps headquarters, where it shall be available for 
 display as appropriate and made available for research.

    (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
 the Director of the Peace Corps should make the gold medal, 
 awarded pursuant to this Act, available for display elsewhere, 
 particularly at appropriate locations associated with Peace 
 Corps volunteers and that preference should be given to 
 locations affiliated with the Peace Corps.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to 

section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the 
costs of the bronze medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of 
machinery, and overhead expenses.

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.

    (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such 
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
pursuant to this Act.

    (b) Proceeds of Sales.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under 

section 4 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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