PUBLIC LAW 109–146—DEC. 22, 2005

LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL

DESEGREGATION 50TH ANNIVERSARY

COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT

119 STAT. 2676 PUBLIC LAW 109–146—DEC. 22, 2005

Public Law 109–146

109th Congress

An Act

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.

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 ‘‘Little Rock Central High School

Desegregation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act’’.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

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.

Little Rock

Central High

School

Desegregation

50th Anniversary

Commemorative

Coin Act.

31 USC 5112

note.

Dec. 22, 2005

[H.R. 358]

PUBLIC LAW 109–146—DEC. 22, 2005 119 STAT. 2677

(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 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, and subsection (d), 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

119 STAT. 2678 PUBLIC LAW 109–146—DEC. 22, 2005

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 358:

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 109–134, Pt. 1 (Comm. on Financial Services).

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 151 (2005):

June 27, considered and passed House.

Nov. 18, considered and passed Senate, amended.

Dec. 18, House concurred in Senate amendment.

Æ

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.

(c) 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 (as in effect on the

date of the enactment of this Act). The Secretary of the Treasury

may issue guidance to carry out this subsection.

(d) CREDITABLE FUNDS.—Notwithstanding any other provision

of the law and recognizing the unique partnership nature of the

Department of the Interior and the Little Rock School District

at the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site and

the significant contributions made by the Little Rock School District

to preserve and maintain the historic character of the high school,

any non-Federal funds expended by the school district (regardless

of the source of the funds) for improvements at the Little Rock

Central High School National Historic Site, to the extent such

funds were used for the purposes described in paragraph (1), (2),

or (3) of subsection (b), shall be deemed to meet the requirement

of funds from private sources of section 5134(f)(1)(A)(ii) of title

31, United States Code, with respect to the Secretary of the Interior.

Approved December 22, 2005.