II

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1228

To provide for a 10-year circulating commemorative coin program to

commemorate each of the 50 States, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

SEPTEMBER 26, 1997

Mr. CHAFEE (for himself and Mr. D’AMATO) introduced the following bill;

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

A BILL

To provide for a 10-year circulating commemorative coin

program to commemorate each of the 50 States, and

for other purposes.

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 ‘‘50 States Commemo5 rative Coin Program Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds that—

8 (1) it is appropriate and timely—
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1 (A) to honor the unique Federal republic

2 of 50 States that comprise the United States;

3 and

4 (B) to promote the diffusion of knowledge

5 among the youth of the United States about the

6 individual States, their history and geography,

7 and the rich diversity of the national heritage;

8 (2) the circulating coinage of the United States

9 has not been modernized during the 25-year period

10 preceding the date of enactment of this Act;

11 (3) a circulating commemorative 25-cent coin

12 program could produce earnings of $110,000,000

13 from the sale of silver proof coins and sets over the

14 10-year period of issuance, and would produce indi15 rect earnings of an estimated $2,600,000,000 to

16 $5,100,000,000 to the United States Treasury,

17 money that will replace borrowing to fund the na18 tional debt to at least that extent; and

19 (4) it is appropriate to launch a commemorative

20 circulating coin program that encourages young peo21 ple and their families to collect memorable tokens of

22 all of the States for the face value of the coins.
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1 SEC. 3. ISSUANCE OF REDESIGNED QUARTER DOLLARS

2 OVER 10-YEAR PERIOD COMMEMORATING

3 EACH OF THE 50 STATES.

4 Section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, is

5 amended by inserting after subsection (k) the following

6 new subsection:

7 ‘‘(l) REDESIGN AND ISSUANCE OF QUARTER DOLLAR

8 IN COMMEMORATION OF EACH OF THE 50 STATES.—

9 ‘‘(1) REDESIGN BEGINNING IN 1999.—

10 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the

11 fourth sentence of subsection (d)(1) and sub12 section (d)(2), quarter dollar coins issued dur13 ing the 10-year period beginning in 1999, shall

14 have designs on the reverse side selected in ac15 cordance with this subsection which are em16 blematic of the 50 States.

17 ‘‘(B) TRANSITION PROVISION.—Notwith18 standing subparagraph (A), the Secretary may

19 continue to mint and issue quarter dollars in

20 1999 which bear the design in effect before the

21 redesign required under this subsection and an

22 inscription of the year ‘1998’ as required to en23 sure a smooth transition into the 10-year pro24 gram under this subsection.

25 ‘‘(2) SINGLE STATE DESIGNS.—The design on

26 the reverse side of each quarter dollar issued during
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1 the 10-year period referred to in paragraph (1) shall

2 be emblematic of 1 of the 50 States.

3 ‘‘(3) ISSUANCE OF COINS COMMEMORATING 5

4 STATES DURING EACH OF THE 10 YEARS.—

5 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The designs for the

6 quarter dollar coins issued during each year of

7 the 10-year period referred to in paragraph (1)

8 shall be emblematic of 5 States selected in the

9 order in which such States ratified the Con10 stitution of the United States or were admitted

11 into the Union, as the case may be.

12 ‘‘(B) NUMBER OF EACH OF 5 COIN DE13 SIGNS IN EACH YEAR.—Of the quarter dollar

14 coins issued during each year of the 10-year pe15 riod referred to in paragraph (1), the Secretary

16 of the Treasury shall prescribe, on the basis of

17 such factors as the Secretary determines to be

18 appropriate, the number of quarter dollars

19 which shall be issued with each of the 5 designs

20 selected for such year.

21 ‘‘(4) SELECTION OF DESIGN.—

22 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each of the 50 de23 signs required under this subsection for quarter

24 dollars shall be—
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1 ‘‘(i) selected by the Secretary after

2 consultation with—

3 ‘‘(I) the Governor of the State

4 being commemorated, or such other

5 State officials or group as the State

6 may designate for such purpose; and

7 ‘‘(II) the Commission of Fine

8 Arts; and

9 ‘‘(ii) reviewed by the Citizens Com10 memorative Coin Advisory Committee.

11 ‘‘(B) SELECTION AND APPROVAL PROC12 ESS.—Designs for quarter dollars may be sub13 mitted in accordance with the design selection

14 and approval process developed by the Sec15 retary in the sole discretion of the Secretary.

16 ‘‘(C) PARTICIPATION.—The Secretary may

17 include participation by State officials, artists

18 from the States, engravers of the United States

19 Mint, and members of the general public.

20 ‘‘(D) STANDARDS.—Because it is impor21 tant that the Nation’s coinage and currency

22 bear dignified designs of which the citizens of

23 the United States can be proud, the Secretary

24 shall not select any frivolous or inappropriate
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1 design for any quarter dollar minted under this

2 subsection.

3 ‘‘(E) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN REP4 RESENTATIONS.—No head and shoulders por5 trait or bust of any person, living or dead, and

6 no portrait of a living person may be included

7 in the design of any quarter dollar under this

8 subsection.

9 ‘‘(5) TREATMENT AS NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For

10 purposes of sections 5134 and 5136, all coins mint11 ed under this subsection shall be considered to be

12 numismatic items.

13 ‘‘(6) ISSUANCE.—

14 ‘‘(A) QUALITY OF COINS.—The Secretary

15 may mint and issue such number of quarter

16 dollars of each design selected under paragraph

17 (4) in uncirculated and proof qualities as the

18 Secretary determines to be appropriate.

19 ‘‘(B) SILVER COINS.—Notwithstanding

20 subsection (b), the Secretary may mint and

21 issue such number of quarter dollars of each

22 design selected under paragraph (4) as the Sec23 retary determines to be appropriate, with a con24 tent of 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
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1 ‘‘(C) SOURCES OF BULLION.—The Sec2 retary shall obtain silver for minting coins

3 under subparagraph (B) from available re4 sources, including stockpiles established under

5 the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Pil6 ing Act.

7 ‘‘(7) APPLICATION IN EVENT OF THE ADMIS8 SION OF ADDITIONAL STATES.—If any additional

9 State is admitted into the Union before the end of

10 the 10-year period referred to in paragraph (1), the

11 Secretary of the Treasury may issue quarter dollar

12 coins, in accordance with this subsection, with a de13 sign which is emblematic of such State during any

14 1 year of such 10-year period, in addition to the

15 quarter dollar coins issued during such year in ac16 cordance with paragraph (3)(A).’’.

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