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[Senate Report 106-356]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

106th Congress 
 2d Session                      SENATE                          Report
                                                                106-356
_______________________________________________________________________

                                     

                                                       Calendar No. 707

 
                       AWARDING A CONGRESSIONAL

                    GOLD MEDAL TO POPE JOHN PAUL II

                               __________

                              R E P O R T

                                 OF THE

                     COMMITTEE ON BANKING, HOUSING,

                           AND URBAN AFFAIRS

                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                              to accompany

                                S. 2453

                                     

    July 24 (legislative day, July 21), 2000.--Ordered to be printed
            COMMITTEE ON BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN AFFAIRS

                      PHIL GRAMM, Texas, Chairman

RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama           PAUL S. SARBANES, Maryland
CONNIE MACK, Florida                 CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, Connecticut
ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah              JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts
ROD GRAMS, Minnesota                 RICHARD H. BRYAN, Nevada
WAYNE ALLARD, Colorado               TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota
MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming             JACK REED, Rhode Island
CHUCK HAGEL, Nebraska                CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York
RICK SANTORUM, Pennsylvania          EVAN BAYH, Indiana
JIM BUNNING, Kentucky                JOHN EDWARDS, North Carolina
MIKE CRAPO, Idaho

                   Wayne A. Abernathy, Staff Director
     Steven B. Harris, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel
                  Madelyn Simmons, Professional Staff
             Erin Hansen, Democratic Legislative Assistant
                       George E. Whittle, Editor

                                  (ii)
                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page
Introduction.....................................................     1
History of the Legislation.......................................     1
Purpose and Scope................................................     2
Section-by-Section Analysis......................................     2
    Section 1. Findings..........................................     2
    Section 2. Congressional Gold Medal..........................     3
    Section 3. Duplicate Medals..................................     3
    Section 4. National Medals...................................     3
    Section 5. Funding and Proceeds of Sale......................     3
Regulatory Impact Statement......................................     3
Cost of Legislation..............................................     3
Changes in Existing Law (Cordon Rule)............................     4

                                 (iii)
                                                       Calendar No. 707
106th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session                                                     106-356

======================================================================

        AWARDING A CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO POPE JOHN PAUL II

                                _______
                                

    July 24 (legislative day, July 21), 2000.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Gramm, from the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 2453]

    The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs to 
which was referred the bill (S. 2453) to provide for a gold 
medal to be presented on behalf of the Congress to Pope John 
Paul II, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon 
without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                              INTRODUCTION

    On July 13, 2000, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs met in legislative session and marked up and 
ordered to be reported S. 2453, a bill to provide for the award 
of a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to Pope John Paul II 
without amendment. The Committee's action was taken by a voice 
vote.

                       HISTORY OF THE LEGISLATION

    The Act to award a Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of 
the Congress to Pope John Paul II in recognition of his 
outstanding and enduring contributions to humanity and for 
other purposes, S. 2453, was introduced on April 13, 2000, by 
Senator Sam Brownback. Senators Abraham, Allard, Ashcroft, 
Bingaman, Breaux, Bunning, Burns, Campbell, Chafee, Collins, 
Conrad, Coverdell, Craig, Crapo, Daschle, DeWine, Durbin, Dodd, 
Domenici, Edwards, Enzi, Feinstein, Frist, Fitzgerald, Grams, 
Grassley, Gregg, Hagel, Helms, Hollings, Hutchinson, Hutchison, 
Inhofe, Inouye, Johnson, Kennedy, Kerrey, Kerry, Landrieu, 
Leahy, Lieberman, Levin, Lott, Mack, McCain, McConnell, 
Mikulski, Moynihan, Murkowski, Murray, Roberts, Roth, Santorum, 
Schumer, Sessions, Shelby, Smith of New Hampshire, Smith of 
Oregon, Snowe, Specter, Stevens, Thomas, Torricelli, Voinovich, 
and Warner were original cosponsors.
    S. 2459 has two purposes: first, to strike and present a 
gold medal for presentation on behalf of the Congress to Pope 
John Paul II, and second, to authorize the Secretary of the 
Treasury (Secretary) to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of 
the gold medal struck under this Act in an amount sufficient to 
cover the costs of the medals and the cost of the gold medal.
    There were no Committee hearings held on S. 2453. At the 
Committee mark up on July 13, no amendments were offered to S. 
2453.

                           PURPOSE AND SCOPE

    The bill reported by the Committee authorizes the Secretary 
to strike a gold medal for presentation to Pope John Paul II, 
in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to 
humanity, and for other purposes. The design of the gold medal 
shall have suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be 
determined by the Secretary. The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate are 
authorized to award a gold medal of appropriate design to Pope 
John Paul II.
    Duplicate medals made of bronze will also be struck and 
sold to the public at the direction of the Secretary. The price 
of the bronze medals shall be sufficient to cover the cost of 
the bronze medals (including labor, materials, dies, use of 
machinery, and overhead expenses) and the cost of the gold 
medal.
    The bill authorizes the appropriation of no more than 
$30,000 to pay for the cost of the medals struck under this 
Act. This appropriation is to be charged against the United 
States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.1 Amounts 
received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals under this 
Act shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public 
Enterprise Fund.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ P.L. 104-52, the Treasury Department Appropriation Act for 
Fiscal Year 1996 consolidated the numismatic and circulating coin 
operations of the United States Mint into one revolving fund, the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. This made the Mint's sole 
source of funding it's revenue-generating programs rather than an 
annual appropriation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Findings

    Section 1 provides for Congressional findings. The Congress 
finds that Pope John Paul II, having transcended the bounds of 
religion, race, and political thought, has been a formidable 
champion, uniter, and defender in the world's struggle for 
peace and basic human rights; having witnessed firsthand the 
inequities and brutal inhumanity of the tyranny of communism; 
Pope John Paul II has remained a tireless crusader against such 
inequities and inhumanity; the forceful vision and leading 
example of Pope John Paul II have become a paradigm of hope for 
our Nation and our Nation's children, while the Pope's fierce 
resolve to his ideals continues to map the way for our ever-
changing world; Pope John Paul II has changed the lives of 
billions of people across the globe; and it is only appropriate 
for Congress to formalize its recognition and appreciation by 
awarding Pope John Paul II the Congressional Gold Medal.

Section 2. Congressional Gold Medal

    Section 2 provides for the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to 
award, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal of appropriate 
design to Pope John Paul II. This section also provides for the 
Secretary to include suitable emblems, devices, and 
inscriptions, as the Secretary determines, in the design of the 
gold medal.

Section 3. Duplicate medals

    Section 3 provides for the Secretary, under such 
regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, to strike and sell 
duplicate medals in bronze of the gold medal authorized by this 
Act. The price of the bronze medals will be determined as to be 
sufficient to cover the cost of the bronze medals and the gold 
medal.

Section 4. National medals

    Section 4 authorizes that the medals struck under this Act 
are national medals for purposes of Chapter 51 of title 31, 
United States Code. 2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\ While there is no statutory definition for ``national medals,'' 
the medals honor those events that have contributed to, and advanced 
the history of the country, or those persons whose superior deeds and 
achievements have embellished our history or who are representative of 
the finest accomplishments in service to the Nation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section 5. Funding and proceeds of sale

    Section 5 authorizes that no more than $30,000 to pay for 
the cost of the medals authorized by this Act, shall be charged 
against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. In 
addition, the proceeds from the sale of duplicate bronze medals 
shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public 
Enterprise Fund.

                      REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

    Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 11(b), of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, the Committee has evaluated the regulatory 
impact of the bill and concludes that it will not increase the 
net regulatory burden imposed on the Government.

               CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                     Washington, DC, July 21, 2000.
Hon. Phil Gramm,
Chairman, Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, U.S. 
        Senate, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 2453, a bill to 
authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of 
Congress to Pope John Paul II in recognition of his outstanding 
and enduring contributions to humanity, and for other purposes.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is John R. 
Righter.
            Sincerely.
                                           Steven Lieberman
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

S. 2453--A bill to authorize the President to award a gold medal on 
        behalf of Congress to Pope John Paul II in recognition of his 
        outstanding and enduring contributions to humanity, and for 
        other purposes

    S. 2453 would authorize the President to present a gold 
medal to Pope John Paul II, spiritual leader of the Catholic 
church, on behalf of the Congress. To help recover the costs of 
the gold medal, which would be financed from the U.S. Mint 
Public Enterprise Fund, S. 2453 would authorize the Mint to 
strike and sell bronze duplicates of the medal at a price that 
covers production costs for both the medal and the duplicates.
    Based on the costs of recent medals produced by the Mint, 
CBO estimates that enacting S. 2453 would not significantly 
affect direct spending. CBO estimates that the gold medal would 
cost about $35,000 to produce over fiscal years 2000 and 2001, 
including around $5,000 for the cost of the gold and around 
$30,000 for the costs to design, engrave, and manufacture the 
medal. CBO expects that the Mint would recoup at least some of 
its costs by selling bronze duplicates to the public.
    Because the bill would affect direct spending, pay-as-you-
go procedures would apply. S. 2453 contains no 
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets 
of state, local, or tribal governments.
    The CBO staff contact is John R. Righter. This estimate was 
approved by Robert A. Sunshine, Assistant Director for Budget 
Analysis.

                 changes in existing law (cordon rule)

    In the opinion of the Committee, it is necessary to 
dispense with the requirements of paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of 
the Standing Rules of the Senate in order to expedite the 
business of the Senate.

                                
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