S. 239 

One Hundred Sixteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE FIRST SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and nineteen 

An Act 

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in recognition of Christa 

McAuliffe. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act of 2019’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Congress finds the following: 

(1) Christa McAuliffe was a social studies teacher at Concord High School in Concord, New Hampshire. 

(2) In 1985, Christa McAuliffe was selected to be the first 

participant in the Teacher in Space program of the National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration. 

(3) On January 28, 1986, Christa McAuliffe and 6 other 

astronauts were tragically killed during the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. 

(4) In 1989, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science 

and Technology (in this Act referred to as ‘‘FIRST’’) was founded 

to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science 

and technology. 

(5) The mission of FIRST ‘‘is to inspire young people to 

be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting 

mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and 

technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster wellrounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership’’. 

(6) 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of 

FIRST. 

(7) Each year, more than 1,000,000 children from the 

United States and more than 86 countries participate in a 

FIRST program. 

(8) Studies have shown that alumni of FIRST programs 

are more likely to become scientists and engineers and to 

volunteer in their communities. 

(9) FIRST is dedicated to carrying on the mission of Christa 

McAuliffe of inspiring students and creating a new generation 

of dreamers and innovators. 

(10) 2016 marked the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle 

Challenger tragedy. 
S. 239—2 

SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 

(a) DENOMINATIONS.—In commemoration of Christa McAuliffe, 

the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter referred to in this Act 

as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and issue not more than 350,000 

$1 coins, each of which shall— 

(1) weigh 26.73 grams; 

(2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and 

(3) contain at least 90 percent silver. 

(b) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this Act shall 

be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United 

States Code. 

(c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 5134 and 

5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this 

Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 

SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS. 

(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The design of the coins minted under 

this Act shall bear— 

(A) an image of and the name of Christa McAuliffe 

on the obverse side; and 

(B) a design on the reverse side that depicts the legacy 

of Christa McAuliffe as a teacher. 

(2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On each coin minted 

under this Act, there shall be— 

(A) a designation of the value of the coin; 

(B) an inscription of the year ‘‘2021’’; and 

(C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, ‘‘In God We 

Trust’’, ‘‘United States of America’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus 

Unum’’. 

(b) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted under this 

Act shall be— 

(1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the 

family of Christa McAuliffe, FIRST, and the Commission of 

Fine Arts; and 

(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. 

SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS. 

(a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this Act shall 

be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. 

(b) MINT FACILITY.—Only 1 facility of the United States Mint 

may be used to strike any particular quality of the coins minted 

under this Act. 

(c) PERIOD FOR ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may issue coins under 

this Act only during the period beginning on January 1, 2021, 

and ending on December 31, 2021. 

SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS. 

(a) SALE PRICE.—The coins issued under this Act shall be 

sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of— 

(1) the face value of the coins; 

(2) the surcharge provided under section 7(a) with respect 

to the coins; and 

(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins, including— 

(A) labor; 

(B) materials; 

(C) dies; 

(D) use of machinery; 
S. 239—3 

(E) overhead expenses; 

(F) marketing; and 

(G) shipping. 

(b) BULK SALES.—The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the 

coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount. 

(c) PREPAID ORDERS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders 

for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of 

the coins. 

(2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders 

under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount. 

SEC. 7. SURCHARGES. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins issued under this Act shall 

include a surcharge of $10 per coin. 

(b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United 

States Code, and section 8(2), all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be promptly 

paid by the Secretary to the FIRST robotics program for the purpose 

of engaging and inspiring young people, through mentor-based programs, to become leaders in the fields of science, technology, 

engineering, and mathematics. 

(c) AUDITS.—The FIRST robotics program shall be subject to 

the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, United 

States Code, with respect to the amounts received under subsection 

(b). 

SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES. 

The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary 

to ensure that— 

(1) minting and issuing coins under this Act result in 

no net cost to the Federal Government; and 

(2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, are disbursed 

to any recipient designated in section 7(b) until the total cost 

of designing and issuing all of the coins authorized by this 

Act, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead 

expenses, marketing, and shipping, is recovered by the United 

States Treasury, consistent with sections 5112(m) and 5134(f) 

of title 31, United States Code. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.