I

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1021

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to redesign Federal reserve notes

of all denominations so as to incorporate the preamble to the Constitution

of the United States, a list describing the Articles of the Constitution,

and a list describing the Articles of Amendment, on the reverse side

of such currency.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 14, 2001

Mr. CANTOR (for himself, Mr. SISISKY, Mr. WOLF, Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. SCOTT, Mr. SCHROCK, Mr. GOODE,

Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS

of Virginia, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. TOWNS, and Mr. TANCREDO)

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

A BILL

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to redesign Federal

reserve notes of all denominations so as to incorporate

the preamble to the Constitution of the United States,

a list describing the Articles of the Constitution, and

a list describing the Articles of Amendment, on the reverse side of such currency.

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 ‘‘Liberty Bill Act’’.
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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

2 The Congress finds as follows:

3 (1) Many Americans are unaware of the provi4 sions of the Constitution of the United States, one

5 of the most remarkable and important documents in

6 world history.

7 (2) An abbreviated version of this important

8 document, consisting of the preamble, a list of the

9 Articles, and a list of the Articles of Amendment,

10 could easily be placed on the reverse side of all Fed11 eral reserve notes.

12 (3) The placement of an abbreviated version of

13 the Constitution on all Federal reserve notes would

14 serve to remind people of the historical importance

15 of the Constitution and its impact on their lives

16 today.

17 (4) Americans would be reminded by the pre18 amble of the blessings of liberty; by the Articles, of

19 the framework of the Government; and by the Arti20 cles of Amendment, of the historical changes to the

21 document that forms the very core of the American

22 experience.
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1 SEC. 3. REDESIGN OF REVERSE SIDE OF FEDERAL RE2 SERVE NOTES.

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 5114 of title 31, United

4 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol5 lowing new subsection:

6 ‘‘(d) LIBERTY BILLS.—

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In addition to the require8 ments of subsection (b) (relating to the inclusion of

9 the inscription ‘In God We Trust’ on all United

10 States currency) and the 8th undesignated para11 graph of section 16 of the Federal Reserve Act, the

12 design of the reverse side of all Federal reserve

13 notes shall incorporate the preamble to the Constitu14 tion of the United States, a list describing the Arti15 cles of the Constitution, and a list describing the Ar16 ticles of Amendment.

17 ‘‘(2) DESIGN.—Subject to paragraph (3), the

18 preamble to the Constitution of the United States

19 and the list describing the Articles of the Constitu20 tion shall appear on the reverse side of all Federal

21 reserve notes in the following format (shown as it

22 would appear on the $1 Federal reserve note):
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1 ‘‘(3) AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY.—The require2 ments of this subsection shall not be construed as—

3 ‘‘(A) prohibiting the inclusion of any other

4 inscriptions or material on the reverse side of

5 Federal reserve notes which the Secretary may

6 determine to be necessary or appropriate; or

7 ‘‘(B) limiting any other authority of the

8 Secretary with regard to the design of Federal

9 reserve notes, including the adoption of any de10 sign features to deter the counterfeiting of

11 United States currency.’’.

12 (b) DATE OF APPLICATION.—The amendment made

13 by subsection (a) shall apply to all Federal reserve notes

14 which are first placed into circulation after December 31,

15 2001.

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