S. 4243 

One Hundred Eighteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty four 

An Act 

To award posthumously the Congressional Gold Medal to Shirley Chisholm. 

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 ‘‘Shirley Chisholm Congressional 

Gold Medal Act’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

The Congress finds the following: 

(1) In 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first AfricanAmerican woman elected to Congress where she served until 

1982. 

(2) Shirley Chisholm inspired and led the march of political 

achievement by African Americans and women in the 3 decades 

since she ran for the Presidency of the United States. 

(3) Her election to Congress and her candidacy for the 

Presidency raised the profile and aspirations of all African 

Americans and women in the field of politics. 

(4) Shirley Chisholm was recognized for her activism, 

independence, and groundbreaking achievements in politics 

during and after the civil rights era. 

(5) Shirley Chisholm was born in Brooklyn, New York, 

on November 30, 1924, attended Brooklyn College, and earned 

a master’s degree from Columbia University. 

(6) Shirley Chisholm worked in education and social services before being elected to the New York State Assembly 

in 1964. 

(7) Shirley Chisholm established the Unity Democratic Club 

in 1960, which played a significant role in rallying Black and 

Hispanic voters in New York City. 

(8) In 1969, Shirley Chisholm began her service in the 

91st Congress, representing New York’s 12th Congressional 

District in the House of Representatives. 

(9) During her service in the House of Representatives, 

Shirley Chisholm promoted the employment of women in Congress and was vocal in her support of civil rights, women’s 

rights, and the poor, while fervently opposing the Vietnam 

War. 

(10) In 1972, Shirley Chisholm was the first African American to seek the nomination of a major party for President 

of the United States. 
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(11) A historic figure in American political history, Shirley 

Chisholm died at the age of 80 in Ormond Beach, Florida, 

on New Year’s Day 2005. 

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 posthumous presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate 

design in commemoration of Shirley Chisholm. 

(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For purposes of the presentation 

referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred 

to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall strike a gold medal with 

suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by 

the Secretary. The design shall bear an image of, and an inscription 

of the name of, Shirley Chisholm. 

(c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—After the award of the gold medal referred 

to in subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the 

Smithsonian Institution, where it will be displayed as appropriate and made available for research. 

(2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that 

the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal 

received under paragraph (1) for display elsewhere, particularly 

at other locations and events associated with Shirley Chisholm. 

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 medals, including labor, materials, dies, 

use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

(a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—Medals struck under 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 under this Act. 
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(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the sale of 

duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.