39–006

109TH CONGRESS REPT. 109–134 " HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ! 1st Session Part 1

LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL DESEGREGATION 

50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT 

JUNE 15, 2005.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. OXLEY, from the Committee on Financial Services, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 358] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on Financial Services, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 358) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint 

coins in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of the Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill 

as amended do pass.

CONTENTS 

Page 

Amendment .............................................................................................................. 2

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 3

Background and Need for Legislation .................................................................... 3

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 3

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 3

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 3

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 4

Performance Goals and Objectives ......................................................................... 4

New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures ............. 4

Committee Cost Estimate ....................................................................................... 4

Congressional Budget Office Estimate ................................................................... 4

Federal Mandates Statement ................................................................................. 5

Advisory Committee Statement .............................................................................. 5

Constitutional Authority Statement ...................................................................... 5

Applicability to Legislative Branch ........................................................................ 5

Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation ...................................................... 6

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AMENDMENT

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Little Rock Central High School Desegregation 50th 

Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

The Congress finds the following: 

(1) September 2007, marks the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Little 

Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. 

(2) In 1957, Little Rock Central High was the site of the first major national 

test for the implementation of the historic decision of the United States Supreme Court in Brown, et al. v. Board of Education of Topeka, et al., 347 U.S. 

483 (1954). 

(3) The courage of the ‘‘Little Rock Nine’’ (Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, 

Melba Pattillo, Jefferson Thomas, Carlotta Walls, Terrence Roberts, Gloria Ray, 

Thelma Mothershed, and Minnijean Brown) who stood in the face of violence, 

was influential to the Civil Rights movement and changed American history by 

providing an example on which to build greater equality. 

(4) The desegregation of Little Rock Central High by the 9 African American 

students was recognized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as such a significant 

event in the struggle for civil rights that in May 1958, he attended the graduation of the first African American from Little Rock Central High School. 

(5) A commemorative coin will bring national and international attention to 

the lasting legacy of this important event. 

SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 

(a) DENOMINATIONS.—The Secretary of the Treasury (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and issue not more than 500,000 $1 coins 

each of which shall—

(1) weigh 26.73 grams; 

(2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and 

(3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper. 

(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 section 5136 of title 31, United States 

Code, all coins minted under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 

SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS. 

(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—The design of the coins minted under this Act shall 

be emblematic of the desegregation of the Little Rock Central High School and its 

contribution to civil rights in America. 

(b) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On each coin minted under this Act there 

shall be—

(1) a designation of the value of the coin; 

(2) an inscription of the year ‘‘2007’’; and 

(3) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, ‘‘In God We Trust’’, ‘‘United States of 

America’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’. 

(c) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted under this Act shall be—

(1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the Commission of Fine 

Arts; and 

(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee established under 

section 5135 of title 31, United States Code. 

SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS. 

(a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. 

(b) COMMENCEMENT OF ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may issue coins minted under 

this Act beginning January 1, 2007, except that the Secretary may initiate sales of 

such coins, without issuance, before such date. 

(c) TERMINATION OF MINTING AUTHORITY.—No coins shall be minted under this 

Act after December 31, 2007. 

SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS. 

(a) SALE PRICE.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the coins issued 

under this Act shall be sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of the face 

value of the coins, the surcharge required under section 7(a) for the coins, and the 

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cost of designing and issuing such coins (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, and marketing). 

(b) BULK SALES.—The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the coins issued under 

this Act at a reasonable discount. 

(c) PREPAID ORDERS AT A DISCOUNT.—

(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) SURCHARGE REQUIRED.—All sales shall include a surcharge of $10 per coin. 

(b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code, all 

surcharges which are received by the Secretary from the sale of coins issued under 

this Act shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to the Secretary of the Interior for 

the protection, preservation, and interpretation of resources and stories associated 

with Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, including the following: 

(1) Site improvements at Little Rock Central High School National Historic 

Site. 

(2) Development of interpretive and education programs and historic preservation projects. 

(3) Establishment of cooperative agreements to preserve or restore the historic character of the Park Street and Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive corridors 

adjacent to the site.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

H.R. 358, the ‘‘Little Rock Central High School Desegregation 

50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act,’’ seeks to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock High School 

by the issuance of one-dollar silver commemorative coins in 2007. 

Surcharges on the sale of the coins would be paid to the Secretary 

of the Interior for use in efforts to protect, preserve, and interpret 

resources and stories associated with Little Rock Central High 

School National Historic Site. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The legislation seeks to recognize one of the crucial moments in 

the efforts to desegregate public schools through the sale of a commemorative coin. Surcharges on the sales of the coins would fund 

educational and preservation efforts at the site. Congressional action is necessary to authorize the striking and sale of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. 

HEARINGS

No hearings were held on H.R. 358 during the 109th Congress. 

COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

The Committee on Financial Services met in open session on 

April 27, 2005, and ordered H.R. 358 reported to the House, as 

amended, by a voice vote. 

COMMITTEE VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires the Committee to list the record votes on the motion 

to report legislation and amendments thereto. No record votes were 

taken with in conjunction with the consideration of this legislation. 

A motion by Mr. Oxley to report the bill as amended to the House 

with a favorable recommendation was agreed to by a voice vote. 

The Committee considered the following amendment: 

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An amendment in the nature of a substitute by Mr. Oxley, No. 

1, making various substantive and technical changes to the bill, 

was agreed to by a voice vote. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee regularly examines the operations of the Mint and the commemorative coin program, and the 

Committee’s findings that are reflected in this report. 

PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee establishes the following performance related goals and objectives for this legislation: The coins 

will be struck and sold at such a price as to cover all real and imputed costs so that there is no actual cost to the government, and 

surcharges will be paid only after satisfaction of Section 5134(f) of 

title 31, United States Code. 

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX

EXPENDITURES

In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee adopts as its own the estimate of budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or revenues contained in the cost estimate prepared by the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 

of the Congressional Budget Act. 

COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE

The Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by 

the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the following is the cost estimate provided by 

the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the 

Congressional Budget Act of 1974:

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, April 29, 2005. 

Hon. MICHAEL G. OXLEY, 

Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 358, the Little Rock Central High School Desegregation 50th Anniversary Commemorative 

Coin Act. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew Pickford. 

Sincerely, 

ELIZABETH M. ROBINSON,

(For Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director). 

Enclosure. 

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H.R. 358—Little Rock Central High School Desegregation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act 

H.R. 358 would direct the U.S. Mint to produce a $1 silver coin 

in calendar year 2007 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 

desegregation of the Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, 

Arkansas. The bill would specify a surcharge on the sales price of 

$10 for each coin and would designate the National Park Service 

as the recipient of the income from those surcharges. Although the 

bill would affect direct spending, CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 

358 would have no significant net impact on the budget over the 

2006–2010 period. 

Sales proceeds from the coins that would be authorized by H.R. 

358 could raise as much as $5 million in surcharges if the Mint 

sells the maximum number of authorized coins. The experience of 

recent commemorative coin sales by the Mint, however, suggests 

that receipts would be about $1.5 million. Those receipts would be 

recorded in the budget as offsetting receipts (a credit against direct 

spending), mostly in fiscal year 2007. By law, the Mint must ensure that it does not lose money producing commemorative coins 

before transferring any surcharges to a designated recipient organization. CBO expects that receipts from the surcharges would be 

transferred and spent by the National Park Service in fiscal year 

2008. 

H.R. 358 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not 

affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew Pickford. 

This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 

pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this legislation. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee finds that the Constitutional 

Authority of Congress to enact this legislation is provided by Article 1, section 8, clause 1 (relating to the general welfare of the 

United States) and clause 3 (relating to the power to regulate interstate commerce). 

APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to the 

terms and conditions of employment or access to public services or 

accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act. 

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SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Short title 

This section establishes the short title of the bill, the ‘‘Little Rock 

Central High School Desegregation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act.’’

Section 2. Findings 

This section lists the following Congressional findings: (1) September 2007 marks the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of 

Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas; (2) In 

1957, Little Rock Central High was the site of the first major national test for the implementation of the historic decision of the 

United States Supreme Court in Brown, et al v. Board of Education 

of Topeka, et al., 347 U.S. 483 (1954); (3) The courage of the ‘‘Little 

Rock Nine’’ (Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Melba Pattillo, Jefferson Thomas, Carlotta Walls, Terrence Roberts, Gloria Ray, Thelma Mothershed and Minnijean Brown) who stood in the face of violence, was influential to the Civil Rights movement and changed 

American history by providing an example on which to build greater equality; (4) The desegregation of Little Rock Central High by 

the 9 African American students was recognized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as such a significant event in the struggle for civil 

rights that in May 1958, he attended the graduation of the first African American from Little Rock Central High School; (5) A commemorative coin will bring national and international attention to 

the legacy of this important event. 

Section 3. Coin specifications 

This section authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue, in 2007, no more than 500,000 silver $1 coins. 

Section 4. Design of coins 

The design for the coins shall be emblematic of the desegregation 

of Little Rock Central High School and its contribution to civil 

rights in America and selected by the Secretary of the Treasury 

after consultation with Commission of Fine Arts and reviewed by 

the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. 

Section 5. Issuance of coins 

The Secretary of the Treasury may issue coins minted under this 

Act beginning January 1, 2007. However, sales may be initiated 

without issuance before January 1, 2007. Lastly, no coins shall be 

minted under this Act after December 31, 2007. 

Section 6. Sale of coins 

The coins issued under this Act shall be sold by the Secretary of 

the Treasury at a price equal to the face value of the coins, plus 

the surcharge required under section 7(a) and the cost of designing 

and issuing the coins (i.e., labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, 

overhead expenses, and marketing). 

Section 7. Surcharges 

This section calls for a surcharge of $10 per coin. After satisfying 

the ‘‘matching funds requirement in 31 U.S.C, section 5134, all surVerDate jul 14 2003 06:52 Jun 18, 2005 Jkt 039006 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR134P1.XXX HR134P1
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charges will be paid to the Secretary of the Interior for the protection, preservation, and interpretation of resources and stories associated with Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.

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