H. R. 3373
One Hundred Sixth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the sixth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine
An Act
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in conjunction with the
minting of coins by the Republic of Iceland in commemoration of the millennium
of the discovery of the New World by Leif Ericson.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
TITLE I—LEIF ERICSON MILLENNIUM
COMMEMORATIVE COIN
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Leif Ericson Millennium
Commemorative Coin Act’’.
SEC. 102. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) $1 SILVER COINS.—In conjunction with the simultaneous
minting and issuance of commemorative coins by the Republic of
Iceland in commemoration of the millennium of the discovery of
the New World by Leif Ericson, the Secretary of the Treasury
(hereafter in this title referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint
and issue not more than 500,000 1 dollar coins, which shall—
(1) weigh 26.73 grams;
(2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
(b) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this title shall
be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United
States Code.
(c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 5136 of title
31, United States Code, all coins minted under this title shall
be considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 103. SOURCES OF BULLION.
The Secretary may obtain silver for minting coins under this
title from any available source, including stockpiles established
under the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act.
SEC. 104. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The design of the coins minted under
this title shall be emblematic of the millennium of the discovery
of the New World by Leif Ericson.
(2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On each coin minted
under this title there shall be—
(A) a designation of the value of the coin;
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(B) an inscription of the year ‘‘2000’’; and
(C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, ‘‘In God We
Trust’’, ‘‘United States of America’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus
Unum’’.
(b) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted under this
title shall be—
(1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the
Leifur Eirı´ksson Foundation and the Commission of Fine Arts;
and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory
Committee.
SEC. 105. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this title shall
be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) MINT FACILITY.—Only one facility of the United States
Mint may be used to strike any particular quality of the coins
minted under this title.
(c) COMMENCEMENT OF ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may issue
coins minted under this title beginning January 1, 2000.
(d) TERMINATION OF MINTING AUTHORITY.—No coins may be
minted under this title after December 31, 2000.
SEC. 106. SURCHARGES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins minted under this title
shall include a surcharge of $10 per coin.
(b) DISTRIBUTION.—All surcharges received by the Secretary
from the sale of coins issued under this title shall be promptly
paid by the Secretary to the Leifur Eirı´ksson Foundation for the
purpose of funding student exchanges between students of the
United States and students of Iceland.
(c) AUDITS.—The Leifur Eirı´ksson Foundation shall be subject
to the audit requirements of section 5134(f )(2) of title 31, United
States Code, with regard to the amounts received by the Foundation
under subsection (b).
SEC. 107. GENERAL WAIVER OF PROCUREMENT REGULATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection (b), no provi-
sion of law governing procurement or public contracts shall be
applicable to the procurement of goods and services necessary for
carrying out the provisions of this title.
(b) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY.—Subsection (a) shall
not relieve any person entering into a contract under the authority
of this title from complying with any law relating to equal employ-
ment opportunity.
TITLE II—CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER
COMMEMORATIVE COIN
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘United States Capitol Visitor
Center Commemorative Coin Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 202. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that—
(1) Congress moved to Washington, District of Columbia,
and first convened in the Capitol building in the year 1800;
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(2) the Capitol building is now the greatest visible symbol
of representative democracy in the world;
(3) the Capitol building has approximately 5,000,000 visi-
tors annually and suffers from a lack of facilities necessary
to properly serve them;
(4) the Capitol building and persons within the Capitol
have been provided with excellent security through the dedica-
tion and sacrifice of the United States Capitol Police;
(5) Congress has appropriated $100,000,000, to be supple-
mented with private funds, to construct a Capitol Visitor Center
to provide continued high security for the Capitol and enhance
the educational experience of visitors to the Capitol;
(6) Congress would like to offer the opportunity for all
persons to voluntarily participate in raising funds for the Cap-
itol Visitor Center; and
(7) it is appropriate to authorize coins commemorating
the first convening of the Congress in the Capitol building
with proceeds from the sale of the coins, less expenses, being
deposited for the United States Capitol Preservation Commis-
sion with the specific purpose of aiding in the construction,
maintenance, and preservation of a Capitol Visitor Center.
SEC. 203. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) DENOMINATIONS.—The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter
in this title referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and issue
the following coins under this title:
(1) BIMETALLIC
COINS.—Not more than 200,000 $10
bimetallic coins of gold and platinum, in accordance with such
specifications as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(2) $1 SILVER COINS.—Not more than 500,000 $1 coins,
which shall—
(A) weigh 26.73 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
(3) HALF DOLLAR.—Not more than 750,000 half dollar clad
coins, each of which—
(A) shall weigh 11.34 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and
(C) be minted to the specifications for half dollar coins
contained in section 5112(b) of title 31, United States Code.
(b) $5 GOLD COINS.—If the Secretary determines that the
minting and issuance of bimetallic coins under subsection (a)(1)
is not feasible, the Secretary may mint and issue instead not
more than 100,000 $5 coins, which shall—
(1) weigh 8.359 grams;
(2) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and
(3) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloy.
(c) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this title shall
be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United
States Code.
SEC. 204. SOURCES OF BULLION.
(a) PLATINUM AND GOLD.—The Secretary shall obtain platinum
and gold for minting coins under this title from available sources.
(b) SILVER.—The Secretary may obtain silver for minting coins
under this title from stockpiles established under the Strategic
and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act, and from other available
sources.
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SEC. 205. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The design of the coins minted under
this title shall be emblematic of the first meeting of the United
States Congress in the United States Capitol Building.
(2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On each coin minted
under this title, there shall be—
(A) a designation of the value of the coin;
(B) an inscription of the year ‘‘2001’’; and
(C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, ‘‘In God We
Trust’’, ‘‘United States of America’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus
Unum’’.
(b) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted under this
title shall be—
(1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the
United States Capitol Preservation Commission (in this title
referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’) and the Commission of Fine
Arts; and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory
Committee.
SEC. 206. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this title shall
be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) MINT FACILITY.—Only one facility of the United States
Mint may be used to strike any particular combination of denomina-
tion and quality of the coins minted under this title.
(c) FIRST USE OF YEAR 2001 DATE.—The coins minted under
this title shall be the first commemorative coins of the United
States to be issued bearing the inscription of the year ‘‘2001’’.
(d) PROMOTION CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall—
(1) consult with the Commission in order to establish a
role for the Commission or an entity designated by the Commis-
sion in the promotion, advertising, and marketing of the coins
minted under this title; and
(2) if the Secretary determines that such action would
be beneficial to the sale of coins minted under this title, enter
into a contract with the Commission or an entity referred
to in paragraph (1) to carry out the role established under
paragraph (1).
SEC. 207. SALE OF COINS.
(a) SALE PRICE.—The coins minted under this title shall be
sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of—
(1) the face value of the coins;
(2) the surcharge provided in subsection (d) with respect
to such coins; and
(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including
labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses,
marketing, and shipping).
(b) BULK SALES.—The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the
coins issued under this title at a reasonable discount.
(c) PREPAID ORDERS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders
for the coins minted under this title before the issuance of
such coins.
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(2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders
under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.
(d) SURCHARGES.—All sales under this title shall include a
surcharge established by the Secretary, in an amount equal to
not more than—
(1) $50 per coin for the $10 coin or $35 per coin for the
$5 coin;
(2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin; and
(3) $3 per coin for the half dollar coin.
SEC. 208. DISTRIBUTION OF SURCHARGES.
All surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of coins
minted under this title shall be deposited in the Capitol Preserva-
tion Fund in accordance with section 5134(f ) of title 31, United
States Code, and shall be made available to the Commission for
the purpose of aiding in the construction, maintenance, and
preservation of a Capitol Visitor Center.
TITLE III—LEWIS AND CLARK
EXPEDITION COMMEMORATIVE COIN
SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Lewis and Clark Expedition
Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act’’.
SEC. 302. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) the expedition commanded by Meriwether Lewis and
William Clark, which came to be called ‘‘The Corps of Dis-
covery’’, was one of the most remarkable and productive sci-
entific and military exploring expeditions in all American his-
tory;
(2) President Thomas Jefferson gave Lewis and Clark the
mission to ‘‘explore the Missouri River & such principal stream
of it, as, by its course and communication with the waters
of the Pacific Ocean, whether the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado,
or any other river may offer the most direct and practical
water communication across this continent for the purposes
of commerce’’;
(3) the Expedition, in response to President Jefferson’s
directive, greatly advanced our geographical knowledge of the
continent and prepared the way for the extension of the Amer-
ican fur trade with American Indian tribes throughout the
land;
(4) President Jefferson directed the explorers to take note
of and carefully record the natural resources of the newly
acquired territory known as Louisiana, as well as diligently
report on the native inhabitants of the land;
(5) the Expedition departed St. Louis, Missouri on May
14, 1804;
(6) the Expedition held its first meeting with American
Indians at Council Bluff near present-day Fort Calhoun,
Nebraska, in August 1804, spent its first winter at Fort
Mandan, North Dakota, crossed the Rocky Mountains by the
mouth of the Columbia River in mid-November of that year,
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and wintered at Fort Clatsop, near the present-day city of
Astoria, Oregon;
(7) the Expedition returned to St. Louis, Missouri, on Sep-
tember 23, 1806, after a 28-month journey covering 8,000 miles
during which it traversed 11 future States: Illinois, Missouri,
Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mon-
tana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon;
(8) accounts from the journals of Lewis and Clark and
the detailed maps that were prepared by the Expedition
enhance knowledge of the western continent and routes for
commerce;
(9) the Expedition significantly enhanced amicable relation-
ships between the United States and the autonomous American
Indian nations, and the friendship and respect fostered between
American Indian tribes and the Expedition represents the best
of diplomacy and relationships between divergent nations and
cultures; and
(10) the Lewis and Clark Expedition has been called the
most perfect expedition of its kind in the history of the world
and paved the way for the United States to become a great
world power.
SEC. 303. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) DENOMINATION.—In commemoration of the bicentennial of
the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Secretary of the Treasury
(hereafter in this title referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint
and issue not more than 500,000 $1 coins, each of which shall—
(1) weigh 26.73 grams;
(2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
(b) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this title shall
be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United
States Code.
(c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 5136 of title
31, United States Code, all coins minted under this title shall
be considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 304. SOURCES OF BULLION.
The Secretary may obtain silver for minting coins under this
title from any available source, including stockpiles established
under the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act.
SEC. 305. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The design of the coins minted under
this title shall be emblematic of the expedition of Lewis and
Clark.
(2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On each coin minted
under this title there shall be—
(A) a designation of the value of the coin;
(B) an inscription of the year ‘‘2004’’ and the years
‘‘1804–1806’’; and
(C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, ‘‘In God We
Trust’’, ‘‘United States of America’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus
Unum’’.
(3) OBVERSE OF COIN.—The obverse of each coin minted
under this title shall bear the likeness of Meriwether Lewis
and William Clark.
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(4) GENERAL DESIGN.—In designing this coin, the Secretary
shall also consider incorporating appropriate elements from
the Jefferson Peace and Friendship Medal which Lewis and
Clark presented to the Chiefs of the various Indian tribes
they encountered and shall consider recognizing Native Amer-
ican culture.
(b) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted under this
title shall be selected by the Secretary after consultation with
the Commission of Fine Arts and shall be reviewed by the Citizens
Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee.
SEC. 306. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this title shall
be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) MINT FACILITY.—Only one facility of the United States
Mint may be used to strike any particular quality of the coins
minted under this title.
(c) PERIOD
FOR ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may issue coins
minted under this title only during the period beginning on January
1, 2004, and ending on December 31, 2004.
SEC. 307. SALE OF COINS.
(a) SALE PRICE.—The coins issued under this title shall be
sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of—
(1) the face value of the coins;
(2) the surcharge provided in subsection (d) with respect
to such coins; and
(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including
labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses,
marketing, and shipping).
(b) BULK SALES.—The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the
coins issued under this title at a reasonable discount.
(c) PREPAID ORDERS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders
for the coins minted under this title before the issuance of
such coins.
(2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders
under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.
(d) SURCHARGES.—All sales of coins minted under this title
shall include a surcharge of $10 per coin.
SEC. 308. DISTRIBUTION OF SURCHARGES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to section 5134(f ) of title 31, United
States Code, the proceeds from the surcharges received by the
Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this title shall be
promptly paid by the Secretary as follows:
(1) NATIONAL LEWIS AND CLARK BICENTENNIAL COUNCIL.—
Two-thirds to the National Lewis and Clark Bicentennial
Council, for activities associated with commemorating the
bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
(2) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.—One-third to the National
Park Service for activities associated with commemorating the
bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
(b) AUDITS.—Each organization that receives any payment from
the Secretary under this section shall be subject to the audit
requirements of section 5134(f )(2) of title 31, United States Code.
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SEC. 309. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.
(a) NO NET COST TO THE GOVERNMENT.—The Secretary shall
take such actions as may be necessary to ensure that minting
and issuing coins under this title will not result in any net cost
to the United States Government.
(b) PAYMENT FOR COINS.—A coin shall not be issued under
this title unless the Secretary has received—
(1) full payment for the coin;
(2) security satisfactory to the Secretary to indemnify the
United States for full payment; or
(3) a guarantee of full payment satisfactory to the Secretary
from a depository institution whose deposits are insured by
the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the National
Credit Union Administration Board.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.