117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2607 

AN ACT 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the former hostages 

of the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979–1981, highlighting 

their resilience throughout the unprecedented ordeal that 

they lived through and the national unity it produced, 

marking 4 decades since their 444 days in captivity, 

and recognizing their sacrifice to the United States. 
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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Iran Hostages Con5 gressional Gold Medal Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) On January 20, 1981, United States dip9 lomats, military personnel, and civilians were re10 leased after being held hostage for 444 days by mili11 tant student supporters of Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah 

12 Khomeini in a violation of international law. The in13 dividuals were taken from the United States Em14 bassy in Tehran, Iran, and the ordeal came to be 

15 known as the Iran Hostage Crisis. 

16 (2) The hostages were subjected to intense 

17 physical and psychological torture throughout their 

18 captivity, such as mock executions, beatings, solitary 

19 confinement, and inhospitable living conditions. 

20 (3) Throughout their time held, the hostages 

21 were routinely told to denounce the United States 

22 and, when they refused, they were tortured, but re23 mained strong in their spirit. 

24 (4) One hostage wrote ‘‘Viva la roja, blanco, y 

25 azul’’, which translates to ‘‘Long live the red, white, 
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1 and blue’’, on the wall of his cell as a reminder of 

2 the values he swore to protect. 

3 (5) The hostages showed extraordinary courage 

4 by continually engaging in acts of resistance against 

5 their captors, such as by refusing to sign condemna6 tions of the United States, in the face of gross viola7 tions of their human rights. 

8 (6) Many of the hostages still experience trau9 ma as a result of the events of the crisis and deserve 

10 to have their suffering recognized. 

11 (7) While, as of the date of enactment of this 

12 Act, 35 of the hostages are living, it is important 

13 that the people of the United States reflect on the 

14 resilience and strength of the hostages, which serve 

15 as an example to current generations. 

16 (8) The people of the United States should— 

17 (A) acknowledge the hostages as heroes 

18 who— 

19 (i) experienced great tribulation; and 

20 (ii) endured, so that the people of the 

21 United States may know the blessing of 

22 living in the United States; and 

23 (B) strive to demonstrate the values shown 

24 by the hostages. 
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1 (9) On January 22, 1981, President Jimmy 

2 Carter met with the hostages in West Germany and 

3 stated the following: ‘‘One of the acts in my life 

4 which has been the most moving and gratifying in 

5 meeting with and discussing the future and the past 

6 with the now liberated Americans who were held 

7 hostage in Iran for so long. I pointed out to them 

8 that, since their capture by the Iranian terrorists 

9 and their being held in this despicable act of sav10 agery, that the American people’s hearts have gone 

11 out to them and the Nation has been united as per12 haps never before in history and that the prayers 

13 that have gone up from the people throughout the 

14 world to God for their safety have finally been an15 swered.’’. 

16 (10) On January 28, 1981, when welcoming the 

17 hostages home, President Ronald Reagan stated the 

18 following: ‘‘You’ve come home to a people who for 

19 444 days suffered the pain of your imprisonment, 

20 prayed for your safety, and most importantly, shared 

21 your determination that the spirit of free men and 

22 women is not a fit subject for barter. You’ve rep23 resented under great stress the highest traditions of 

24 public service. Your conduct is symbolic of the mil25 lions of professional diplomats, military personnel, 
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1 and others who have rendered service to their coun2 try.’’. 

3 (11) During the 444 days the brave hostages 

4 were held, the rest of the United States held its 

5 breath, waiting for news of the hostages. The United 

6 States hoped and prayed together, as one, for the 

7 hostages’ safe return. 

8 (12) Bruce Laingen, who served as United 

9 States Ambassador to Iran from 1979 to 1980 and 

10 was the highest ranking diplomat held hostage, 

11 summed up the experience by saying the following: 

12 ‘‘Fifty-three Americans who will always have a love 

13 affair with this country and who join with you in a 

14 prayer of thanksgiving for the way in which this cri15 sis has strengthened the spirit and resilience and 

16 strength that is the mark of a truly free society.’’. 

17 It is now the responsibility of the people of the 

18 United States to honor the spirit, resilience, and 

19 strength that the hostages displayed during their 

20 444 days of imprisonment. 

21 (13) Now, more than 4 decades later, the 

22 United States continues to honor the hostages. The 

23 recipients of the award bestowed by this Act are he24 roes in every sense of the word. They are role mod25 els who wore their pride in the United States with 
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1 esteem and have allowed for subsequent generations 

2 to appreciate the blessing of living in the United 

3 States. Today, as we mark 40 years since their re4 lease, the people of the United States acknowledge 

5 their endurance, strength, and contributions to see6 ing a more peaceful world. The hostages suffered for 

7 the United States and now it is the duty of the 

8 United States to recognize them for it. 

9 SEC. 3. DEFINITION. 

10 In this Act, the term ‘‘hostage’’ means a person of 

11 the United States who was taken captive on November 4, 

12 1979, in Tehran, Iran, at the United States embassy and 

13 released on— 

14 (1) July 11, 1980; or 

15 (2) January 20, 1981. 

16 SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

17 (a) AWARD AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of the 

18 House of Representatives and the President pro tempore 

19 of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the 

20 award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal of 

21 appropriate design to the 53 hostages of the Iran Hostage 

22 Crisis, in recognition of their bravery and endurance 

23 throughout their captivity, which started on November 4, 

24 1979, and lasted until January 21, 1981. 
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1 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes of the 

2 award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the 

3 Treasury (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall 

4 strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and 

5 inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary, in con6 sultation with the Secretary of State. 

7 (c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 

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

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

10 shall be given to the National Museum of American 

11 History of the Smithsonian Institution, where it 

12 shall be available for display as appropriate and 

13 made available for research. 

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

15 Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should 

16 make the gold medal received under paragraph (1) 

17 available for loan, as appropriate, so that the medal 

18 may be displayed elsewhere. 

19 SEC. 5. BRONZE DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may strike and sell 

21 duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant 

22 to section 4, at a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, 

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

24 overhead expenses. 
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1 (b) PROCEEDS OF SALES.—The amounts received 

2 from the sale of duplicate medals under subsection (a) 

3 shall be deposited in the United States Mint Public Enter4 prise Fund. 

5 SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS. 

6 There is authorized to be charged against the United 

7 States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may 

8 be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 

9 under this Act. 

10 SEC. 7. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

11 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck pursu12 ant to this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 

13 51 of title 31, United States Code. 

14 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 

15 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck 

16 under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 

17 SEC. 8. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 

18 The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 

19 complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, 

20 shall be determined by reference to the latest statement 

21 titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this 

22 Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 

23 by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, pro-
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1 vided that such statement has been submitted prior to the 

2 vote on passage. 

Passed the Senate December 6, 2022. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2607 

AN ACT 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 

United States. tivity, and recognizing their sacrifice to the marking 4 decades since their 444 days in capthrough and the national unity it produced, out the unprecedented ordeal that they lived 1979–1981, highlighting their resilience throughformer hostages of the Iran Hostage Crisis of