104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 3793

AN ACT

To provide for a 10-year circulating commemorative

States, and for other purposes.coin program to commemorate each of the 50
104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 3793

AN ACT

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,
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘50 States Commemo3 rative Coin Program Act’’.

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

5 The Congress hereby finds the following:

6 (1) It is appropriate and timely to—

7 (A) honor the unique Federal republic of

8 50 States that comprise the United States; and

9 (B) promote the diffusion of knowledge

10 among the youth of the United States about the

11 individual States, their history and geography,

12 and the rich diversity of the national heritage.

13 (2) The circulating coinage of the United States

14 has not been modernized within the past 25 years.

15 (3) A circulating commemorative 25-cent coin

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

17 over the 10-year period of issuance and would

18 produce indirect earnings of an estimated

19 $3,400,000,000 to the United States Treasury,

20 money that will replace borrowing to fund the na21 tional debt to at least that extent.

22 (4) It is appropriate to launch a commemora23 tive circulating coin program that encourages young

24 people and their families to collect memorable tokens

25 of all 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 adding at the end the following new sub6 section:

7 ‘‘(k) REDESIGN AND ISSUANCE OF QUARTER DOL8 LAR IN COMMEMORATION OF EACH OF THE 50 STATES.—

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

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

11 quarter dollar coins issued during the 10-year period

12 beginning on January 1, 1997, shall have designs

13 selected in accordance with this subsection which are

14 emblematic of the 50 States.

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

16 each quarter dollar issued during the 10-year period

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

18 1 of the 50 States.

19 ‘‘(3) ISSUANCE OF COINS COMMEMORATING 5

20 STATES DURING EACH OF THE 10 YEARS.—

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

22 quarter dollar coins issued during each year of

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

24 shall be emblematic of 5 States which have not

25 previously been commemorated during such pe26 riod.
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1 ‘‘(B) NUMBER OF EACH OF 5 COIN DE2 SIGNS IN EACH YEAR.—Of the quarter dollar

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

4 period referred to in paragraph (1)), the Sec5 retary of the Treasury shall prescribe, on the

6 basis of such factors as the Secretary deter7 mines to be appropriate, the number of quarter

8 dollars which shall be issued with each of the 5

9 designs selected for such year.

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

11 designs required under this subsection for quarter

12 dollars shall be—

13 ‘‘(A) selected by the Secretary after con14 sultation with appropriate officials of the State

15 being commemorated with such design and the

16 Commission of Fine Arts; and

17 ‘‘(B) reviewed by the Citizens Commemo18 rative Coin Advisory Committee.

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

20 purposes of sections 5134 and 5136, all coins mint21 ed under this subsection shall be considered to be

22 numismatic items.

23 ‘‘(6) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—

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

25 may mint and issue such number of quarter
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1 dollars of each design selected under paragraph

2 (4) in uncirculated and proof qualities as the

3 Secretary determines to be appropriate.

4 ‘‘(B) SILVER COINS.—Notwithstanding

5 subsection (b), the Secretary may mint and

6 issue such number of quarter dollars of each

7 design selected under paragraph (4) as the Sec8 retary determines to be appropriate with a con9 tent of 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.

10 ‘‘(C) SOURCES OF BULLION.—The Sec11 retary shall obtain silver for minting coins

12 under subparagraph (B) only from stockpiles

13 established under the Strategic and Critical

14 Materials Stock Piling Act.

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

16 issued under this paragraph shall be sold by the

17 Secretary at a price equal to the sum of the

18 face value of the coins and the cost of designing

19 and issuing the coins (including labor, mate20 rials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses,

21 marketing, profit, and shipping).

22 ‘‘(7) APPLICATION IN EVENT OF THE ADMIS23 SION OF ADDITIONAL STATES.—If any additional

24 State is admitted into the Union before the end of

25 the 10-year period referred to in paragraph (1), the
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1 Secretary of the Treasury may issue quarter dollar

2 coins, in accordance with this subsection, with a de3 sign which is emblematic of such State during any

4 1 year of such 10-year period, in addition to the

5 quarter dollar coins issued during such year in ac6 cordance with paragraph (3)(A).’’.

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

8 COMMEMORATIVE COIN ADVISORY COMMIT9 TEE.

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

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

12 follows:

13 ‘‘(4) TERMS.—

14 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each individual ap15 pointed to the Advisory Committee under clause

16 (i) or (iii) of paragraph (3)(A) shall be ap17 pointed for a term of 4 years.

18 ‘‘(B) INTERIM APPOINTMENTS.—Any

19 member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring

20 before the expiration of the term for which such

21 member’s predecessor was appointed shall be

22 appointed only for the remainder of such term.

23 ‘‘(C) CONTINUATION OF SERVICE.—Each

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

25 paragraph (3)(A) may continue to serve after
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1 the expiration of the term to which such mem2 ber was appointed until a successor has been

3 appointed and qualified.’’.

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

5 to the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee

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

7 5135 of title 31, United States Code, who are serving on

8 the Advisory Committee as of the date of the enactment

9 of this Act—

10 (1) 1 member appointed under clause (i) and 1

11 member appointed under clause (iii), as designated

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

13 have been appointed to a term which ends on De14 cember 31, 1997;

15 (2) 1 member appointed under clause (i) and 1

16 member appointed under clause (iii), as designated

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

18 have been appointed to a term which ends on De19 cember 31, 1998; and

20 (3) 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, 1999.
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1 (c) STATUS OF MEMBERS.—The members appointed

2 to the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee

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

4 5135 of title 31, United States Code, shall not be treated

5 as special Government employees.

Passed the House of Representatives September 4,

1996.

Attest:

Clerk.