I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1127 

To posthumously award a Congressional gold medal to Mahatma Gandhi 

in recognition of his contributions to the Nation by the promotion of 

nonviolence. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 8, 2019 

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York (for herself, Mr. HOLDING, Ms. 

GABBARD, Mr. BERA, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. JAYAPAL, and Mr. 

KHANNA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House 

Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To posthumously award a Congressional gold medal to Mahatma Gandhi in recognition of his contributions to the 

Nation by the promotion of nonviolence. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds the following: 

5 (1) Few people have had as significant and as 

6 positive an impact on the world and freedom than 

7 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. 


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1 (2) Gandhi led the Indian people to independ2 ence from British rule in August 1947 through non3 violent means, staging massive peaceful demonstra4 tions against poverty while supporting women’s 

5 rights and religious tolerance. 

6 (3) Gandhi’s legacy has inspired hundreds of 

7 millions of people around the world to pursue non8 violence as a means to achieve freedom and equality, 

9 including Martin Luther King, Jr.’s movement to 

10 end racial injustice in the United States and Nelson 

11 Mandela’s fight to end apartheid in South Africa. 

12 (4) For his efforts, Gandhi was given the title 

13 of Mahatma, or ‘‘Great Soul’’ and was often called 

14 Bapu in India, which means ‘‘father’’. 

15 (5) Over 2,000,000 people attended Gandhi’s 

16 funeral and his memory and teachings persist still 

17 today. 

18 (6) October 2, Gandhi’s birthday, was declared 

19 as International Day of Non-Violence by the United 

20 Nations to, ‘‘disseminate the message of non-vio21 lence, including through education and public aware22 ness’’ and reaffirm ‘‘the universal relevance of the 

23 principle of non-violence’’ and desire ‘‘to secure a 

24 culture of peace, tolerance, and understanding 

25 through non-violence’’. 


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1 (7) Ensuring that people around the globe know 

2 about, understand, and adopt Gandhi’s principles of 

3 ahimsa (non-violence), satyagraha (appeal to, insist4 ence on, or reliance on the Truth) and swaraj (self5 rule) are more important than ever. 

6 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

7 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 

8 the House of Representatives and the President pro tem9 pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 

10 for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold 

11 medal of appropriate design, to Mahatma Gandhi, in rec12 ognition of his contributions to the Nation by the pro13 motion of nonviolence. 

14 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purpose of the 

15 presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary 

16 of the Treasury (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the 

17 ‘‘Secretary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable em18 blems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the 

19 Secretary. 

20 (c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of the 

22 gold medal under subsection (a), the gold medal 

23 shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where 

24 it shall be available for display as appropriate and 

25 made available for research. 


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

2 Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should 

3 make the gold medal received under paragraph (1) 

4 available for display at other locations, particularly 

5 such locations as are associated with Mahatma Gan6 dhi. 

7 SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

8 Under such regulations as the Secretary may pre9 scribe, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

10 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 at 

11 a price sufficient to cover the cost of the bronze medals, 

12 including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 

13 overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal. 

14 SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS. 

15 The medals struck under this Act are national medals 

16 for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code. 

Æ 


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