106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3544
AN ACT
To authorize a gold medal to be presented on behalf of
the Congress to Pope John Paul II in recognition of
his many and enduring contributions to peace and reli-
gious understanding, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pope John Paul II
Congressional Gold Medal Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that Pope John Paul II—
(1) is the spiritual leader of more than one bil-
lion Catholic Christians around the world and mil-
lions of Catholic Christians in America and has led
the Catholic Church into its third millennium;
(2) is recognized in the United States and
abroad as a preeminent moral authority;
(3) has dedicated his Pontificate to the freedom
and dignity of every individual human being and
tirelessly traveled to the far reaches of the globe as
an exemplar of faith;
(4) has brought hope to millions of people all
over the world oppressed by poverty, hunger, illness,
and despair;
(5) transcending temporal politics, has used his
moral authority to hasten the fall of godless totali-
tarian regimes, symbolized in the collapse of the
Berlin wall;
(6) has promoted the inner peace of man as
well as peace among mankind through his faith-in-
spired defense of justice; and
(7) has thrown open the doors of the Catholic
Church, reconciling differences within Christendom
as well as reaching out to the world’s other great re-
ligions.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of
the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tem-
pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements
for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold
medal of appropriate design to Pope John Paul II in rec-
ognition of his many and enduring contributions to peace
and religious understanding.
(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purpose 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 em-
blems, 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
under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe,
and at a price sufficient to cover the costs thereof, includ-
ing labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead ex-
penses, and the cost of the gold medal.
SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS.
The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United
States Code.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; PROCEEDS
OF SALE.
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
hereby authorized to be charged against the Numismatic
Public Enterprise Fund an amount not to exceed $30,000
to pay for the cost of the medal authorized by this Act.
(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the
sales of duplicate bronze medals under section 4 shall be
deposited in the Numismatic Public Enterprise Fund.
Passed the House of Representatives May 23, 2000.
Attest:
Clerk.