I

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 3793

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

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

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 11, 1996

Mr. CASTLE (for himself, Mr. FLAKE, and Mr. LUCAS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Banking and Financial

Services

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 hereby finds the following:

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

2 50 States that comprise the United States; and

3 (B) promote the diffusion of knowledge

4 among the youth of the United States about the

5 individual States, their history and geography,

6 and the rich diversity of the national heritage.

7 (2) The circulating coinage of the United States

8 has not been modernized within the past 25 years.

9 (3) A circulating commemorative 25-cent coin

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

11 over the 10-year period of issuance and would

12 produce indirect earnings of an estimated

13 $3,400,000,000 to the United States Treasury,

14 money that will replace borrowing to fund the na15 tional debt to at least that extent.

16 (4) It is appropriate to launch a commemora17 tive circulating coin program that encourages young

18 people and their families to collect memorable tokens

19 of all the States for the face value of the coins.

20 SEC. 3. ISSUANCE OF REDESIGNED QUARTER DOLLARS

21 OVER 10-YEAR PERIOD COMMEMORATING

22 EACH OF THE 50 STATES.

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

24 amended by adding at the end the following new sub25 section:
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1 ‘‘(k) REDESIGN AND ISSUANCE OF QUARTER DOL2 LAR IN COMMEMORATION OF EACH OF THE 50 STATES.—

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the 4th

4 sentence of subsection (d)(1) and subsection (d)(2),

5 quarter dollar coins issued during the 10-year period

6 beginning on January 1, 1997, shall have designs

7 selected in accordance with this subsection which are

8 emblematic of the 50 States.

9 ‘‘(2) SINGLE STATE DESIGNS.—The design for

10 each quarter dollar issued during the 10-year period

11 referred to in paragraph (1) shall be emblematic of

12 1 of the 50 States.

13 ‘‘(3) ISSUANCE OF COINS COMMEMORATING 5

14 STATES DURING EACH OF THE 10 YEARS.—

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

16 quarter dollar coins issued during each year of

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

18 shall be emblematic of 5 States which have not

19 previously been commemorated during such pe20 riod.

21 ‘‘(B) NUMBER OF EACH OF 5 COIN DE22 SIGNS IN EACH YEAR.—Of the quarter dollar

23 coins issued during each year (of the 10-year

24 period referred to in paragraph (1)), the Sec25 retary of the Treasury shall prescribe, on the
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1 basis of such factors as the Secretary deter2 mines to be appropriate, the number of quarter

3 dollars which shall be issued with each of the 5

4 designs selected for such year.

5 ‘‘(4) SELECTION OF DESIGN.—Each of the 50

6 designs required under this subsection for quarter

7 dollars shall be—

8 ‘‘(A) selected by the Secretary after con9 sultation with appropriate officials of the State

10 being commemorated with such design and the

11 Commission of Fine Arts; and

12 ‘‘(B) reviewed by the Citizens Commemo13 rative Coin Advisory Committee.

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

15 purposes of sections 5134 and 5136, all coins mint16 ed under this subsection shall be considered to be

17 numismatic items.

18 ‘‘(6) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—

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

20 may mint and issue such number of quarter

21 dollars of each design selected under paragraph

22 (4) in uncirculated and proof qualities as the

23 Secretary determines to be appropriate.

24 ‘‘(B) SILVER COINS.—Notwithstanding

25 subsection (b), the Secretary may mint and
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1 issue such number of quarter dollars of each

2 design selected under paragraph (4) as the Sec3 retary determines to be appropriate with a con4 tent of 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.

5 ‘‘(C) SOURCES OF BULLION.—The Sec6 retary shall obtain silver for minting coins

7 under subparagraph (B) only from stockpiles

8 established under the Strategic and Critical

9 Materials Stock Piling Act.

10 ‘‘(D) SALE PRICE OF COINS.—The coins

11 issued under this paragraph shall be sold by the

12 Secretary at a price equal to the sum of the

13 face value of the coins and the cost of designing

14 and issuing the coins (including labor, mate15 rials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses,

16 marketing, profit, and shipping).

17 SEC. 4. FIXED TERMS FOR MEMBERS OF THE CITIZENS

18 COMMEMORATIVE COIN ADVISORY COMMIT19 TEE.

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (4) of section 5135(a)

21 of title 31, United States Code, is amended to read as

22 follows:

23 ‘‘(4) TERMS.—

24 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each individual ap25 pointed to the Advisory Committee under clause
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1 (i) or (iii) of paragraph (3)(A) shall be ap2 pointed for a term of 4 years.

3 ‘‘(B) INTERIM APPOINTMENTS.—Any

4 member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring

5 before the expiration of the term for which such

6 member’s predecessor was appointed shall be

7 appointed only for the remainder of such term.

8 ‘‘(C) CONTINUATION OF SERVICE.—Each

9 member appointed under clause (i) or (iii) of

10 paragraph (3)(A) may continue to serve after

11 the expiration of the term to which such mem12 ber was appointed until a successor has been

13 appointed and qualified.’’.

14 (b) STAGGERED TERMS.—Of the members appointed

15 to the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee

16 under clause (i) or (iii) of paragraph (3)(A) of section

17 5135 of title 31, United States Code, who are serving on

18 the Advisory Committee as of the date of the enactment

19 of this Act—

20 (1) 1 member appointed under clause (i) and 1

21 member appointed under clause (iii), as designated

22 by the Secretary of the Treasury, shall be deemed to

23 have been appointed to a term which ends on De24 cember 31, 1997;
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1 (2) 1 member appointed under clause (i) and 1

2 member appointed under clause (iii), as designated

3 by the Secretary of the Treasury, shall be deemed to

4 have been appointed to a term which ends on De5 cember 31, 1998; and

6 (3) 1 member appointed under clause (i) and 1

7 member appointed under clause (iii), as designated

8 by the Secretary of the Treasury, shall be deemed to

9 have been appointed to a term which ends on De10 cember 31, 1999.

11 (c) STATUS OF MEMBERS.—The members appointed

12 to the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee

13 under clause (i) or (iii) of paragraph (3)(A) of section

14 5135 of title 31, United States Code, shall not be treated

15 as special Government employees.

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