IA

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1283

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 16, 1998

Referred to the Committee on Banking and Financial Services

AN ACT

To award congressional gold medals to Jean Brown Trickey,

Carlotta Walls LaNier, Melba Patillo Beals, Terrence

Roberts, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Thelma Mothershed

Wair, Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, and Jefferson

Thomas, commonly referred collectively as the ‘‘Little

Rock Nine’’ on the occasion of the 40th anniversary

of the integration of the Central High School in Little

Rock, Arkansas.

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

2 The Congress hereby finds the following:

3 (1) Jean Brown Trickey, Carlotta Walls La4 Nier, Melba Patillo Beals, Terrence Roberts, Gloria

5 Ray Karlmark, Thelma Mothershed Wair, Ernest

6 Green, Elizabeth Eckford, and Jefferson Thomas,

7 hereafter in this section referred to as the ‘‘Little

8 Rock Nine’’, voluntarily subjected themselves to the

9 bitter stinging pains of racial bigotry.

10 (2) The Little Rock Nine are civil rights pio11 neers whose selfless acts considerably advanced the

12 civil rights debate in this country.

13 (3) The Little Rock Nine risked their lives to

14 integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Ar15 kansas, and subsequently the Nation.

16 (4) The Little Rock Nine sacrificed their inno17 cence to protect the American principle that we are

18 all ‘‘one nation, under God, indivisible’’.

19 (5) The Little Rock Nine have indelibly left

20 their mark on the history of this Nation.

21 (6) The Little Rock Nine have continued to

22 work toward equality for all Americans.

23 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS.

24 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The President is

25 authorized to present, on behalf of Congress, to Jean

26 Brown Trickey, Carlotta Walls LaNier, Melba Patillo
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1 Beals, Terrence Roberts, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Thelma

2 Mothershed Wair, Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, and

3 Jefferson Thomas, commonly referred to the ‘‘Little Rock

4 Nine’’, gold medals of appropriate design, in recognition

5 of the selfless heroism such individuals exhibited and the

6 pain they suffered in the cause of civil rights by integrat7 ing Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.

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

9 presentation referred to in subsection (a) the Secretary of

10 the Treasury shall strike a gold medal with suitable em11 blems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the

12 Secretary for each recipient.

13 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.—Effective

14 October 1, 1997, there are authorized to be appropriated

15 such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.

16 SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

17 (a) STRIKING AND SALE.—The Secretary of the

18 Treasury may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the

19 gold medals struck pursuant to section 2 under such regu20 lations as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient

21 to cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies,

22 use of machinery, and overhead expenses, and the cost of

23 the gold medal.
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1 (b) REIMBURSEMENT OF APPROPRIATION.—The ap2 propriation used to carry out section 2 shall be reimbursed

3 out of the proceeds of sales under subsection (a).

4 SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

5 The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national

6 medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United

7 States Code.

8 SEC. 5. COMMEMORATIVE COINS.

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 101(7)(D) of the United

10 States Commemorative Coin Act of 1996 (Public Law

11 104–329, 110 Stat. 4009) is amended to read as follows:

12 ‘‘(D) MINTING AND ISSUANCE OF COINS.—

13 The Secretary—

14 ‘‘(i) may not mint coins under this

15 paragraph after July 1, 1998; and

16 ‘‘(ii) may not issue coins minted

17 under this paragraph after December 31,

18 1998.’’.

19 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by

20 this section shall be construed to have the same effective

21 date as section 101 of the United States Commemorative

22 Coin Act of 1996.

Passed the Senate July 15, 1998.

Attest: GARY SISCO,

Secretary.