US Rescue and Aid Individuals of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023

Subjects: International Affairs


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2668 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2668

  To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the American 
  individuals that were active in aiding and rescuing Jews and other 
    refugees during the period of Nazi Germany's genocidal ``Final 
  Solution'' policy to murder every Jew in Europe, in recognition of 
 their contributions, which resulted in tens of thousands of Jews and 
             others being spared from almost certain death.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 18, 2023

     Ms. Chu (for herself, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Schrier, Mr. 
 Gottheimer, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Norton, Mr. McGovern, and Mr. Sherman) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the American 
  individuals that were active in aiding and rescuing Jews and other 
    refugees during the period of Nazi Germany's genocidal ``Final 
  Solution'' policy to murder every Jew in Europe, in recognition of 
 their contributions, which resulted in tens of thousands of Jews and 
             others being spared from almost certain death.

    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 ``US Rescue and Aid Individuals of 
World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Between 1933 and 1945, United States rescue and relief 
        organizations were responsible for saving many thousands of 
        Jews and other refugees during the Holocaust. American groups 
        sponsored, financed, and organized numerous rescue and relief 
        efforts in Nazi-occupied and neutral Europe.
            (2) These organizations operated in every country in 
        Europe. There were hundreds of American citizens involved in 
        this effort.
            (3) The Jewish refugees and others who were saved from 
        almost certain death immigrated to the United States, Israel, 
        and other parts of the world.
            (4) Refugee agencies worked in the face of opposition to 
        the resettling of Jewish refugees. In 1939, Congress rejected 
        proposals to offer asylum to 20,000 Jewish children. In the 
        same year, the United States refused asylum to Jewish refugees 
        aboard the S.S. ST. LOUIS, who were forced to return to Europe, 
        and 254 of whom died in the Holocaust.
            (5) In addition, public opinion in America was largely 
        against aiding refugees, especially through immigration.
            (6) The rescue of Jews and other refugees was, in some 
        cases, extremely dangerous, especially when conducted in Nazi-
        occupied territories or in collaborator nations. A number of 
        rescuers were arrested, imprisoned, and some were killed.
            (7) Many of these individuals and agencies aided in the 
        relief and resettlement of Jewish refugees and others after the 
        war.
            (8) Among the most prominent was the War Refugee Board, 
        which was responsible for saving the lives of 200,000 Jews and 
        20,000 non-Jews.
            (9) A number of these organizations to be honored are still 
        in existence and are continuing efforts to help refugees 
        throughout the world.
            (10) The individuals being honored include any individual 
        who participated in the rescue or relief of Jews or other 
        refugees who were in danger as a result of the Nazi genocidal 
        policy against Jews and others in Europe, from 1933 to 1945.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives 
and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate 
arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold 
medal of appropriate design in commemoration of the American 
individuals that were active in aiding and rescuing Jews and other 
refugees during the period of Nazi Germany's genocidal ``Final 
Solution'' policy to murder every Jew in Europe, in recognition of 
their contributions, which resulted in tens of thousands of Jews and 
others being spared from almost certain death.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to 
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this 
Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike the gold medal with suitable 
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
    (c) United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal 
        under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the 
        United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, where it shall be 
        available for display as appropriate and made available for 
        research.
            (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum should make the 
        gold medal received under paragraph (1) available for display 
        elsewhere, particularly at other appropriate locations 
        associated with commemoration of the Holocaust.

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 medals struck pursuant to this Act are 
national medals 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 4 shall be deposited 
into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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