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[110th Congress Public Law 456]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]

[DOCID: f:publ456.110]

[[Page 5037]]

                   AMERICA'S BEAUTIFUL NATIONAL PARKS

                     QUARTER DOLLAR COIN ACT OF 2008

[[Page 122 STAT. 5038]]

Public Law 110-456
110th Congress

                                 An Act

 
 To provide for a program for circulating quarter dollar coins that are 
emblematic of a national park or other national site in each State, the 
 District of Columbia, and each territory of the United States, and for 
         other purposes. <<NOTE: Dec. 23, 2008 -  [H.R. 6184]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: America's 
Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008. 31 USC 5101 
note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``America's Beautiful National Parks 
Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008''.

                 TITLE I--NATIONAL SITE QUARTER DOLLARS

SEC. 101. <<NOTE: 31 USC 5112 note.>>  FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Yellowstone National Park was established by an Act 
        signed by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, as the 
        Nation's first national park.
            (2) The summer and autumn of 1890 saw the establishment of a 
        number of national sites:
                    (A) August 19: Chickamauga and Chattanooga 
                established as national military parks in Georgia and 
                Tennessee.
                    (B) August 30: Antietam established as a national 
                battlefield site in Maryland.
                    (C) September 25: Sequoia National Park established 
                in California.
                    (D) September 27: Rock Creek Park established in the 
                District of Columbia.
                    (E) October 1: General Grant National Park 
                established in California (and subsequently incorporated 
                in Kings Canyon National Park).
                    (F) October 1: Yosemite National Park established in 
                California.
            (3) Theodore Roosevelt was this nation's 26th President and 
        is considered by many to be our ``Conservationist President''.
            (4) As a frequent visitor to the West, Theodore Roosevelt 
        witnessed the virtual destruction of some big game species and 
        the overgrazing that destroyed the grasslands and with them the 
        habitats for small mammals and songbirds and conservation 
        increasingly became one of his major concerns.

[[Page 122 STAT. 5039]]

            (5) When he became President in 1901, Roosevelt pursued this 
        interest in conservation by establishing the first 51 Bird 
        Reserves, 4 Game Preserves, and 150 National Forests.
            (6) He also established the United States Forest Service, 
        signed into law the creation of 5 National Parks, and signed the 
        Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities in 1906 under 
        which he proclaimed 18 national monuments.
            (7) Approximately 230,000,000 acres of area within the 
        United States was placed under public protection by Theodore 
        Roosevelt.
            (8) Theodore Roosevelt said that nothing short of defending 
        this country in wartime ``compares in importance with the great 
        central task of leaving this land even a better land for our 
        descendants than it is for us''.
            (9) The National Park Service was created by an Act signed 
        by President Woodrow Wilson on August 25, 1916.
            (10) The National Park System comprises 391 areas covering 
        more than 84,000,000 acres in every State (except Delaware), the 
        District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the 
        Virgin Islands.
            (11) The sites or areas within the National Park System vary 
        widely in size and type from vast natural wilderness to 
        birthplaces of Presidents to world heritage archaeology sites to 
        an African burial ground memorial in Manhattan and include 
        national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, 
        historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, 
        recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House.
            (12) In addition to the sites within the National Park 
        System, the United States has placed numerous other types of 
        sites under various forms of conservancy, such as the national 
        forests and sites within the National Wildlife Refuge System and 
        on the National Register of Historic Places.
SEC. 102. ISSUANCE OF REDESIGNED QUARTER DOLLARS EMBLEMATIC OF 
                        NATIONAL PARKS OR OTHER NATIONAL SITES IN 
                        EACH STATE, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND 
                        EACH TERRITORY.

    Section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(t) Redesign and Issuance of Quarter Dollars Emblematic of 
National Sites in Each State, the District of Columbia, and Each 
Territory.--
            ``(1) Redesign beginning upon completion of prior program.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding the fourth 
                sentence of subsection (d)(1) and subsection (d)(2), 
                quarter dollars issued beginning in 2010 shall have 
                designs on the reverse selected in accordance with this 
                subsection which are emblematic of the national sites in 
                the States, the District of Columbia and the territories 
                of the United States.
                    ``(B) Flexibility with regard to placement of 
                inscriptions.--Notwithstanding subsection (d)(1), the 
                Secretary may select a design for quarter dollars 
                referred to in subparagraph (A) in which--

[[Page 122 STAT. 5040]]

                          ``(i) the inscription described in the second 
                      sentence of subsection (d)(1) appears on the 
                      reverse side of any such quarter dollars; and
                          ``(ii) any inscription described in the third 
                      sentence of subsection (d)(1) or the designation 
                      of the value of the coin appears on the obverse 
                      side of any such quarter dollars.
                    ``(C) Inclusion of district of columbia, and 
                territories.--For purposes of this subsection, the term 
                `State' has the same meaning as in section 3(a)(3) of 
                the Federal Deposit Insurance Act.
            ``(2) Single site in each state.--The design on the reverse 
        side of each quarter dollar issued during the period of issuance 
        under this subsection shall be emblematic of 1 national site in 
        each State.
            ``(3) Selection of site and design.--
                    ``(A) Site.--
                          ``(i) In general.--The selection of a national 
                      park or other national site in each State to be 
                      honored with a coin under this subsection shall be 
                      made by the Secretary of the Treasury, after 
                      consultation with the Secretary of the Interior 
                      and the governor or other chief executive of each 
                      State with respect to which a coin is to be issued 
                      under this subsection, and after giving full and 
                      thoughtful consideration to national sites that 
                      are not under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of 
                      the Interior so that the national site chosen for 
                      each State shall be the most appropriate in terms 
                      of natural or historic significance.
                          ``(ii) Timing.--The selection process under 
                      clause (i) shall be completed before the end of 
                      the 270-day period beginning on the date of the 
                      enactment of the America's Beautiful National 
                      Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008.
                    ``(B) Design.--Each of the designs required under 
                this subsection for quarter dollars shall be--
                          ``(i) selected by the Secretary after 
                      consultation with--
                                    ``(I) the Secretary of the Interior; 
                                and
                                    ``(II) the Commission of Fine Arts; 
                                and
                          ``(ii) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage 
                      Advisory Committee.
                    ``(C) Selection and approval process.--
                Recommendations for site selections and designs for 
                quarter dollars may be submitted in accordance with the 
                site and design selection and approval process developed 
                by the Secretary in the sole discretion of the 
                Secretary.
                    ``(D) Participation in design.--The Secretary may 
                include participation by officials of the State, artists 
                from the State, engravers of the United States Mint, and 
                members of the general public.
                    ``(E) Standards.--Because it is important that the 
                Nation's coinage and currency bear dignified designs of 
                which the citizens of the United States can be proud, 
                the Secretary shall not select any frivolous or 
                inappropriate design for any quarter dollar minted under 
                this subsection.

[[Page 122 STAT. 5041]]

                    ``(F) Prohibition on certain representations.--No 
                head and shoulders portrait or bust of any person, 
                living or dead, no portrait of a living person, and no 
                outline or map of a State may be included in the design 
                on the reverse of any quarter dollar under this 
                subsection.
            ``(4) Issuance of coins.--
                    ``(A) Order of issuance.--The quarter dollar coins 
                issued under this subsection bearing designs of national 
                sites shall be issued in the order in which the sites 
                selected under paragraph (3) were first established as a 
                national site.
                    ``(B) Rate of issuance.--The quarter dollar coins 
                bearing designs of national sites under this subsection 
                shall be issued at the rate of 5 new designs during each 
                year of the period of issuance under this subsection.
                    ``(C) Number of each of 5 coin designs in each 
                year.--Of the quarter dollar coins issued during each 
                year of the period of issuance, the Secretary of the 
                Treasury shall prescribe, on the basis of such factors 
                as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, the 
                number of quarter dollars which shall be issued with 
                each of the designs selected for such year.
            ``(5) Treatment as numismatic items.--For purposes of 
        sections 5134 and 5136, all coins minted under this subsection 
        shall be considered to be numismatic items.
            ``(6) Issuance.--
                    ``(A) Quality of coins.--The Secretary may mint and 
                issue such number of quarter dollars of each design 
                selected under paragraph (3) in uncirculated and proof 
                qualities as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
                    ``(B) Silver coins.--Notwithstanding subsection (b), 
                the Secretary may mint and issue such number of quarter 
                dollars of each design selected under paragraph (3) as 
                the Secretary determines to be appropriate, with a 
                content of 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
            ``(7) Period of issuance.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the 
                program established under this subsection shall continue 
                in effect until a national site in each State has been 
                honored.
                    ``(B) Second round at discretion of secretary.--
                          ``(i) Determination.--The Secretary may make a 
                      determination before the end of the 9-year period 
                      beginning when the first quarter dollar is issued 
                      under this subsection to continue the period of 
                      issuance until a second national site in each 
                      State, the District of Columbia, and each 
                      territory referred to in this subsection has been 
                      honored with a design on a quarter dollar.
                          ``(ii) Notice and report.--Within 30 days 
                      after making a determination under clause (i), the 
                      Secretary shall submit a written report on such 
                      determination to the Committee on Financial 
                      Services of the House of Representatives and the 
                      Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 
                      of the Senate.
                          ``(iii) Applicability of provisions.--If the 
                      Secretary makes a determination under clause (i), 
                      the provisions of this subsection applicable to 
                      site and

[[Page 122 STAT. 5042]]

                      design selection and approval, the order, timing, 
                      and conditions of issuance shall apply in like 
                      manner as the initial issuance of quarter dollars 
                      under this subsection, except that the issuance of 
                      quarter dollars pursuant to such determination 
                      bearing the first design shall commence in order 
                      immediately following the last issuance of quarter 
                      dollars under the first round.
                          ``(iv) Continuation until all states are 
                      honored.--If the Secretary makes a determination 
                      under clause (i), the program under this 
                      subsection shall continue until a second site in 
                      each State has been so honored.
            ``(8) Designs after end of program.--Upon the completion of 
        the coin program under this subsection, the design on--
                    ``(A) the obverse of the quarter dollar shall revert 
                to the same design containing an image of President 
                Washington in effect for the quarter dollar before the 
                institution of the 50-State quarter dollar program; and
                    ``(B) notwithstanding the fourth sentence of 
                subsection (d)(1), the reverse of the quarter dollar 
                shall contain an image of General Washington crossing 
                the Delaware River prior to the Battle of Trenton.
            ``(9) National site.--For purposes of this subsection, the 
        term `national site' means any site under the supervision, 
        management, or conservancy of the National Park Service, the 
        United States Forest Service, the United States Fish and 
        Wildlife Service, or any similar department or agency of the 
        Federal Government, including any national park, national 
        monument, national battlefield, national military park, national 
        historical park, national historic site, national lakeshore, 
        seashore, recreation area, parkway, scenic river, or trail and 
        any site in the National Wildlife Refuge System.
            ``(10) Application in event of independence.--If any 
        territory becomes independent or otherwise ceases to be a 
        territory or possession of the United States before quarter 
        dollars bearing designs which are emblematic of such territory 
        are minted pursuant to this subsection, this subsection shall 
        cease to apply with respect to such territory.''.

                  TITLE II--BULLION INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

SEC. 201. SILVER BULLION COIN.

    Section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after subsection (t) (as added by title I of this Act) the 
following new subsection:
    ``(u) Silver Bullion Investment Product.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall strike and make 
        available for sale such number of bullion coins as the Secretary 
        determines to be appropriate that are exact duplicates of the 
        quarter dollars issued under subsection (t), each of which 
        shall--
                    ``(A) have a diameter of 3.0 inches and weigh 5.0 
                ounces;
                    ``(B) contain .999 fine silver;

[[Page 122 STAT. 5043]]

                    ``(C) have incused into the edge the fineness and 
                weight of the bullion coin;
                    ``(D) bear an inscription of the denomination of 
                such coin, which shall be `quarter dollar'; and
                    ``(E) not be minted or issued by the United States 
                Mint as so-called `fractional' bullion coins or in any 
                size other than the size described in paragraph (A).
            ``(2) Availability for sale.--Bullion coins minted under 
        paragraph (1)--
                    ``(A) shall become available for sale no sooner than 
                the first day of the calendar year in which the 
                circulating quarter dollar of which such bullion coin is 
                a duplicate is issued; and
                    ``(B) may only be available for sale during the year 
                in which such circulating quarter dollar is issued.
            ``(3) Distribution.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In addition to the authorized 
                dealers utilized by the Secretary in distributing 
                bullion coins and solely for purposes of distributing 
                bullion coins issued under this subsection, the Director 
                of the National Park Service, or the designee of the 
                Director, may purchase numismatic items issued under 
                this subsection, but only in units of no fewer than 
                1,000 at a time, and the Director, or the Director's 
                designee, may resell or repackage such numismatic items 
                as the Director determines to be appropriate.
                    ``(B) Resale.--The Director of the National Park 
                Service, or the designee of the Director, may resell, at 
                cost and without repackaging, numismatic items acquired 
                by the Director or such designee under subparagraph (A) 
                to any party affiliated with any national site honored 
                by a quarter dollar under subsection (t) for repackaging 
                and resale by such party in the same manner and to the 
                same extent as such party would be authorized to engage 
                in such activities under subparagraph (A) if the party 
                were acting as the designee of the Director under such 
                subparagraph.''.

    Approved December 23, 2008.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 6184:
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HOUSE REPORTS: No. 110-748 (Comm. on Financial Services).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 154 (2008):
            July 9, considered and passed House.
            Dec. 10, considered and passed Senate.

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