I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3003 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Balazs ‘‘Ernie’’ Bodai in 

recognition of his many outstanding contributions to the Nation, including a tireless commitment to breast cancer research. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 

Ms. SPEIER (for herself, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. 

ESHOO, Mr. BACA, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Ms. 

JACKSON LEE of Texas, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. HOLT, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia, Mr. 

STARK, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. CARDOZA, Mr. PITTS, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. FILNER, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. SHERMAN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. YODER, Mrs. 

DAVIS of California, Mr. DOLD, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. 

MOORE, Mr. SCHOCK, and Ms. MATSUI) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Balazs ‘‘Ernie’’ 

Bodai in recognition of his many outstanding contributions to the Nation, including a tireless commitment 

to breast cancer research. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 The Congress finds as follows: 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 3003 IH

1 (1) Dr. Balazs ‘‘Ernie’’ Bodai was born in Bu2 dapest, Hungary, in 1951. 

3 (2) As a child, Dr. Bodai and his family lived 

4 in a bomb shelter for over a year during the Hun5 garian Revolution of 1956 before managing to es6 cape and immigrate to the United States. 

7 (3) Dr. Bodai received his B.A. and M.S. de8 grees from the University of California, Los Angeles, 

9 and subsequently received his M.D. degree from the 

10 University of California, Davis, at the young age of 

11 26. 

12 (4) Dr. Bodai has authored over 250 medical 

13 articles and published 5 books, 4 of which focus on 

14 cancer. 

15 (5) After working as a breast cancer surgeon 

16 for 15 years and caring for more than 1,500 pa17 tients, Dr. Bodai became frustrated with the pace of 

18 breast cancer research funding. 

19 (6) In 1996, Dr. Bodai launched a campaign to 

20 create a postal stamp to benefit breast cancer re21 search. 

22 (7) After several trips to Washington, DC, and 

23 countless visits with United States Senators and 

24 Members of Congress, the Stamp Out Breast Cancer 

25 Act, which allowed a breast cancer stamp to be sold 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 3003 IH

1 at up to 8 cents above the normal first-class rate, 

2 was passed and signed into law in August 1997. 

3 (8) As a direct result of Dr. Bodai’s tireless 

4 commitment to breast cancer research, as of 2010, 

5 more than 900,000,000 breast cancer stamps have 

6 been sold in the United States—providing over 

7 $73,000,000 for crucial, life-saving research. 

8 (9) The Breast Cancer Research Stamp re9 cently surpassed the Elvis Presley Stamp to become 

10 the all-time best seller for the United States Postal 

11 Service. 

12 (10) In an effort to expand breast cancer re13 search internationally, in 2005, Dr. Bodai intro14 duced the first ever ‘‘global stamp’’ to raise aware15 ness and funding to conquer the disease worldwide. 

16 (11) As of 2010, as a direct result of Dr. 

17 Bodai’s tireless commitment, over 70 countries have 

18 either created their own stamp or are in the process 

19 of doing so—making breast cancer research, early 

20 detection, and eradication a global health priority. 

21 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

22 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 

23 the House of Representatives and the President pro tem24 pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 

25 for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 3003 IH

1 medal of appropriate design, to Dr. Balazs ‘‘Ernie’’ Bodai 

2 in recognition of his many outstanding contributions to 

3 the Nation, including a tireless commitment to breast can4 cer research. 

5 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For purposes of the 

6 presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary 

7 of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec8 retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 

9 devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Sec10 retary. 

11 SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

12 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

13 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 

14 under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at 

15 a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 

16 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, 

17 and the cost of the gold medal. 

18 SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

19 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck pursu20 ant to this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 

21 51 of title 31, United States Code. 

22 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 

23 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals 

24 struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic 

25 items. 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 3003 IH

1 SEC. 5. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF 

2 SALE. 

3 (a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is 

4 authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 

5 Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be nec6 essary to pay for the costs of the medals struck pursuant 

7 to this Act. 

8 (b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the 

9 sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 

10 3 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public 

11 Enterprise Fund. 

Æ 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS