119-hr951

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 951 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 951

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration 
 of the continual recognition of the Nation's semiquincentennial by 
 honoring over 250 years of Americans' service and sacrifice.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 4, 2025

 Ms. Malliotakis (for herself, Mr. Hill of Arkansas, and Mrs. Watson 
 Coleman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration 
 of the continual recognition of the Nation's semiquincentennial by 
 honoring over 250 years of Americans' service and sacrifice.

 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 ``250 Years of Service and Sacrifice 
Commemorative Coin Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 The Congress finds the following:

    (1) July 4, 1776, marks the historic date when the 
 unanimous Declaration of Independence was adopted, establishing 
 the thirteen United States of America as a free and independent 
 nation.

    (2) July 4, 2026, will commemorate the 250th anniversary of 
 the Nation's declaration of independence.

    (3) It is a long-standing tradition to honor significant 
 milestones in American history through the minting of 
 commemorative coins.

    (4) The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation 
 exemplifies the principles of service and sacrifice that have 
 defined the Nation for more than 250 years by providing 
 financial support, housing assistance, and educational 
 opportunities to Gold Star families, first responders, 
 veterans, and their families, honoring the bravery and 
 dedication of those who serve.

    (5) First responders have played a vital role in 
 safeguarding American lives and communities since the Nation's 
 founding, dating back to the first publicly funded, paid fire 
 department established in Boston in 1678.

    (6) During the Civil War (1861-1865), first responders, 
 including battlefield medics and firefighters, played critical 
 roles in saving lives and mitigating destruction, reinforcing 
 their importance in times of national crisis.

    (7) Gold Star families, who have made the ultimate 
 sacrifice in service to the Nation, have endured profound loss 
 while upholding the principles of freedom and democracy. Their 
 resilience and dedication to honoring their fallen loved ones 
 continue to inspire and strengthen communities across America.

    (8) First responders embody the ideals of ``life, liberty, 
 and the pursuit of happiness'' by safeguarding lives and 
 communities, representing a modern continuation of the 
 sacrifices made during the fight for independence.

    (9) The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation's 
 mission ensures that the legacy of service and sacrifice is 
 preserved and that those who dedicate their lives to protecting 
 others are never forgotten.

    (10) The issuance of this commemorative coin will raise 
 awareness of the sacrifices made by Gold Star families, first 
 responders, veterans, and their families, fostering a deeper 
 understanding of their role in upholding the freedoms 
 envisioned in the Declaration of Independence.

    (11) Congress has a long-standing tradition of authorizing 
 commemorative coins to celebrate the Nation's history and the 
 contributions of its citizens and organizations to preserving 
 liberty and justice for all.

    (12) Proceeds from the surcharges on the sale of these 
 commemorative coins will directly benefit the Stephen Siller 
 Tunnel to Towers Foundation, enabling the continuation of its 
 impactful programs that support Gold Star families, first 
 responders, veterans, and their families.

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 in continual recognition of the Nation's 
semiquincentennial by honoring over 250 years of Americans' service and 
sacrifice:

    (1) $5.00 gold coins.--Not more than 100,000 $5.00 coins, 
 which shall--
        (A) weigh 8.359 grams;
        (B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and
            (C) contain at least 90 percent gold.

    (2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 500,000 $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.
            (d) Mintage Limit Exception.--If the Secretary determines, based on 
independent, market based research conducted by the designated 
recipient organization identified in 

section 7

    (b) that the mintage 
levels described under this subsection are not adequate to meet public 
demand, the Secretary may increase the mintage levels as the Secretary 
determines is necessary to meet public demand.

SEC. 4. DESIGNS OF COINS.

    (a) Design Requirements.--

    (1) In general.--The designs of the coins minted under this 
 Act shall be emblematic of over 250 years of American's service 
 and sacrifice.

    (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 ``2028''; 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 
 Stephen Siller-Tunnel to Towers Foundation 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) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins under this 
Act only during the period beginning on January 1, 2028, and ending on 
December 31, 2028.

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 as follows:

    (1) A surcharge of $35 per coin for the gold coins.

    (2) A surcharge of $10 per coin for the silver coins.

    (3) A surcharge of $5 per coin for the half-dollar coins.

    (b) Distribution.--All surcharges received by the Secretary from 
the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be allocated to the 
Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation to support programs that 
provide mortgage-free homes to Gold Star families, the families of 
first responders killed in the line of duty, scholarships for their 
children, resources for disaster response teams, and memorial projects 
honoring their service and sacrifice. These efforts serve as a living 
tribute to the enduring legacy of those who have safeguarded and 
advanced the ideals of the Declaration of Independence from its signing 
to the present day.
            (c) Audits.--The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation 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. 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, shall be 
 disbursed to any recipient designated in 

section 7

    (b) 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.
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