U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

29–010 

" ! SENATE 113th Congress 

1st Session 

REPORT

2013

113–109 

Calendar No. 196 

CONGRESSIONAL AWARD PROGRAM 

REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2013 

R E P O R T 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND 

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

TO ACCOMPANY

S. 1348 

TO REAUTHORIZE THE CONGRESSIONAL AWARD ACT 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013.—Ordered to be printed 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSE:\Seals\Congress.#13
(II) 

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware Chairman 

CARL LEVIN, Michigan 

MARK L. PRYOR, Arkansas 

MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana 

CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri 

JON TESTER, Montana 

MARK BEGICH, Alaska 

TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin 

HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota 

TOM COBURN, Oklahoma 

JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona 

RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin 

ROB PORTMAN, Ohio 

RAND PAUL, Kentucky 

MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming 

KELLY AYOTTE, New Hampshire 

JEFF CHIESA, New Jersey 

RICHARD J. KESSLER, Staff Director 

JOHN P. KILVINGTON, Deputy Staff Director 

BETH M. GROSSMAN, Chief Counsel 

LAWRENCE B. NOVEY, Chief Counsel for Governmental Affairs 

KEITH B. ASHDOWN, Minority Staff Director 

CHRISTOPHER J. BARKLEY, Minority Deputy Staff Director 

ANDREW C. DOCKHAM, Minority Chief Counsel 

CATHARINE A. BAILEY, Minority Director of Governmental Affairs 

PATRICK J. BAILEY, Minority Counsel 

LAURA W. KILBRIDE, Chief Clerk 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
(III) 

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

I. Purpose and Summary .................................................................................. 1 

II. Background .................................................................................................... 1 

III. Legislative History ......................................................................................... 3 

IV. Section-by-Section Analysis .......................................................................... 3 

V. Estimated Cost of Legislation ....................................................................... 3 

VI. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact .................................................................. 4 

VII. Changes in Existing Law .............................................................................. 4 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS

jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
Calendar No. 196 

113th Congress SENATE REPORT " ! 1st Session 113–109 

CONGRESSIONAL AWARD PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION 

ACT OF 2013 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. CARPER, from the Committee on Homeland Security and 

Governmental Affairs, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 1348] 

The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 

to which was referred the bill (S. 1348) to reauthorize the Congressional Award Act, having considered the same, reports favorably 

thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. 

I. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

S. 1348 reauthorizes the Congressional Award Program through 

October 1, 2018. Designed to promote initiative, achievement, and 

excellence among the youth of America, the Program arranges for 

medals to be awarded to young people who have satisfied specified 

standards of achievement. Members of Congress sit on the Board 

that administers the program and participate in the presentation 

of awards. 

II. BACKGROUND

Congress enacted the Congressional Award Act in 1979, establishing the Congressional Award Program, under which young people between the ages of 14 and 23 earn awards by completing 

hours of effort in each of four areas of achievement—volunteer public service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition/ 

exploration. The Congressional Award is non-competitive, and participants, with the guidance of adult advisors, establish their own 

goals and work to achieve them. Depending on the number of hours 

they complete, participants earn Bronze, Silver, and Gold certificates or Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals. Individual Members of 

the House and Senate recognize their constituents who earn 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
2 

1 In evaluating the cost of S. 1248, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the 

Board’s continued use of House Office Building space and an annual audit by GAO would cost 

less than $500,000 a year in appropriated funds, and that the U.S. Mint’s production of Congressional Award medals would increase spending by less than $500,000 a year. These costs are beneath the threshold under which CBO does not report more precise estimates. Also, estimates 

provided by the U.S. Mint to CBO indicate that the Mint’s costs for production of the medals 

are less than $100,000 annually. 

Bronze and Silver medals at in-state ceremonies, and the Congress 

recognizes Gold-medal winners at an annual ceremony in the Capitol presided over by House and Senate leadership. In fiscal year 

2012, 1166 participants were recognized with certificates, and 1247 

received medals, including 276 who earned Gold medals. 

The Act establishes a 25-member Congressional Award Board, 

which is responsible for administering the Congressional Award 

Program. Twenty-four of the Board members are appointed by Congressional leadership—six members by each of the Majority Leader 

of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of 

the House of Representatives, and the Minority Leader of the 

House of Representatives. The National Director, appointed by a 

majority vote of the Board, is the principal executive of the Program and sits as a non-voting member of the Board. By statute, 

four of the Board members must be Members of Congress. At 

present, the four Members of Congress appointed to the Board are 

Senator Max Baucus, Senator Johnny Isakson, Representative Gus 

Bilirakis, and Representative Sheila Jackson Lee. 

Under the Act, the Board incorporated a private, nonprofit, taxexempt organization (qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code) called the Congressional Award Foundation. Financial sponsors of the Program include business corporations, 

charitable foundations, and individuals. The Foundation also receives a small amount of in-kind services from the federal government. As the patron of the Congressional Award program, the U.S. 

Congress provides office space in a House Office Building, and, 

under the terms of the Act, the Government Accountability Office 

(GAO) provides an annual audit of the program, and the U.S. Mint 

designs and strikes the award medals.1

The legislation first establishing the Congressional Award Program was introduced in the 96th Congress by Senator Malcolm 

Wallop (R–WY) as S. 221 and by Representative James J. Howard 

(D–NJ) as H.R. 2196 and was enacted into law as Public Law 96– 

114, the Congressional Award Act, on November 16, 1979. The authorization under that statute extended for six years and has been 

extended eight times: by Public Law 99–161, enacted on November 

25, 1985; by Public Law 100–674, enacted on November 17, 1988; 

by Public Law 101–525, enacted on November 6, 1990; by Public 

Law 102–457, enacted on October 23, 1992; by Public Law 104– 

208, enacted on September 30, 1996; Public Law 106–63, enacted 

on October 1, 1999; by Public Law 109–143, enacted on December 

22, 2005; and by Public Law 111–200, enacted on July 7, 2010. 

The Congressional Award Program has grown substantially in 

recent years, with the number of participants increasing from approximately 20,000 in 2005 to over 27,000 in 2009 and over 35,000 

in 2013. More than 2,000 adult mentors are also involved in the 

program. By statute, GAO audits the Foundation’s financial statements and compliance with the Act annually and has issued generally favorable reports. The Committee believes that the CongresVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:12 Sep 25, 2013 Jkt 029010 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR109.XXX SR109

jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
3 

sional Award Program performs a valuable service at minimal cost 

to the taxpayer, encouraging initiative, achievement, public service, 

and personal development in the Nation’s youth, as well as providing an opportunity for service for the adult volunteers. The 

Committee therefore supports and recommends reauthorization of 

the Program. 

III. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

On July 23, 2013, Senator Carper introduced S. 1348, which was 

referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The Committee considered the bill on July 31, 

2013, and ordered the bill reported by voice vote without amendment. Members present for the vote on the bill were Senators Carper, Levin, McCaskill, Tester, Begich, Baldwin, Coburn, Johnson, 

Ayotte, and Chiesa. 

IV. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1—Short title 

This section states that the Act may be cited as the ‘‘Congressional Award Program Reauthorization Act of 2013’’. 

Section 2—Termination 

This section amends section 108 the Congressional Award Act (2 

U.S.C. § 808) to reauthorize the program until October 1, 2018. 

V. ESTIMATED COST OF LEGISLATION

AUGUST 9, 2013. 

Hon. THOMAS R. CARPER, 

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 1348, the Congressional 

Award Program Reauthorization Act of 2013. 

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

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

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS W. ELMENDORF. 

Enclosure. 

S. 1348—Congressional Award Program Reauthorization Act of 

2013 

S. 1348 would extend authorization for the Congressional Award 

Act through fiscal year 2018. The Congressional Award Program 

recognizes excellence in public service and personal development 

among young people. The program is overseen by the Congressional 

Award Board, a nonprofit organization that does not receive any 

appropriated federal funds. 

Under S. 1348, the Congressional Award Board would continue 

to receive free office space in a Congressional office building. In addition, young people recognized by the Congressional Award Program are awarded medals produced by the U.S. Mint. Based on information from the board, CBO estimates that extending authorizaVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:12 Sep 25, 2013 Jkt 029010 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR109.XXX SR109

jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
4 

tion for the program would increase direct spending from the U.S. 

Mint Public Enterprise Fund by less than $500,000 annually. Because the bill would affect direct spending, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. 

S. 1348 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 contacts for this estimate are Maggie Morrissey 

and Matthew Pickford. The estimate was approved by Peter H. 

Fontaine, Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

VI. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT

Pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of 

the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has considered 

the regulatory impact of this bill. CBO states that there are no 

intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and no costs on State, local, or tribal 

governments. The enactment of this legislation will not have any 

other significant regulatory impact. 

VII. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill, as 

reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted 

is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic and 

existing law, in which no change is proposed, is shown in roman): 

UNITED STATES CODE 

TITLE 2, THE CONGRESS 

CHAPTER 19—CONGRESSIONAL AWARD PROGRAM 

Subchapter I—Congressional Award Program 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 808. TERMINATION. 

The Board shall terminate øOctober 1, 2013¿ October 1, 2018. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS