Captain James A. Lovell, Jr., Congressional Gold Medal Act

Subjects: Science, Technology, Communications


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2655 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2655

  To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Captain James Arthur Lovell, 
 Jr., (USN-Ret), in recognition of his service to our Nation and most 
   notably, his leadership, bravery, and general significance to the 
            advancement of United States space exploration.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 17, 2023

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Captain James Arthur Lovell, 
 Jr., (USN-Ret), in recognition of his service to our Nation and most 
   notably, his leadership, bravery, and general significance to the 
            advancement of United States space exploration.

    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 ``Captain James A. Lovell, Jr., 
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) In 1952, James A. Lovell, Jr., graduated from the Naval 
        Academy and served with distinction in the U.S. Navy as a 
        fighter pilot, later making important contributions as a test 
        pilot.
            (2) As a crew member for the Gemini 7 mission and Commander 
        for the Gemini 12 mission, Lovell played a critical role in 
        these missions which were critical steps towards making the 
        later Apollo lunar missions possible.
            (3) On December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 launched from Kennedy 
        Space Center Launch Complex 39A, destined for lunar orbit. 
        Lovell, William Anders, and Frank Borman became the first 
        humans to reach the Moon's orbit; Apollo 8 successfully 
        completed ten orbits around the Moon and safely returned to 
        Earth on December 27, 1968.
            (4) On April 11, 1970, Apollo 13, commanded by Lovell, with 
        Jack Swigert as command module pilot and Fred Haise as lunar 
        module pilot, launched from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 
        39A with the intention to be the third mission in history to 
        land humans on the Moon.
            (5) Two days into the mission, an explosion occurred, 
        depleting the command module's air tanks, and leaving the ship 
        with disruptions in water, electricity, fuel, and light 
        supplies, with support and guidance from ground personnel, 
        Lovell, Haise, and Swigert had to modify the ship's life 
        support systems and change Apollo 13's course to circle around 
        the Moon before heading back to Earth.
            (6) Lovell handwrote the orientation calculations 
        transferring them from the command module to the lunar module 
        guidance system allowing the ship to stay on the correct 
        trajectory.
            (7) The three astronauts aboard Apollo 13 survived on 
        rations of water in freezing temperatures for four days in the 
        lunar module while the ship traveled back towards Earth.
            (8) On April 17, 1970, in large thanks to Lovell's 
        leadership and NASA's ingenuity, Apollo 13 reentered Earth's 
        atmosphere and safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after 
        a treacherous and uncertain journey back to Earth.
            (9) The bravery, skill, and courage of the Apollo 13 
        astronauts, under the extraordinary leadership of Captain 
        Lovell united the American people and reinvigorated interest in 
        the Nation's space program.
            (10) President Nixon awarded Lovell, Haise, and Swigert 
        with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for their heroic work.
            (11) Lovell went on to have a successful business career, 
        becoming the CEO of Bay-Houston Towing Company, President of 
        Fisk Telephone Systems, Executive Vice President of Centel 
        Corporation in Chicago, and starting a restaurant with his 
        family in Lake Forest, Illinois.
            (12) Throughout his life, Lovell was a strong and effective 
        advocate for science, the study of space, and the power of 
        space exploration.
            (13) Lovell continues to be an example of strength and 
        wisdom in his community and throughout the country.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make 
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of the 
Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration of 
Captain James Arthur Lovell, Jr., in recognition of his service to our 
Nation and most notably, his leadership, bravery, and general 
significance to the advancement of United States space exploration.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the presentation 
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter 
in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal 
with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by 
the Secretary.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to section 3 at a price sufficient to cover the 
cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medal struck pursuant to this Act is a 
national medal for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States 
Code.
    (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such 
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
pursuant to this Act.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--The amounts received from the sale of 
duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 3 shall be deposited 
into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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