I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5232 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration 
of the invaluable service that working dogs provide to society. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 
Mr. MCHENRY (for himself and Mr. AUCHINCLOSS) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in 
addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins 
in commemoration of the invaluable service that working 
dogs provide to society. 
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 ‘‘Working Dog Com-
memorative Coin Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Dogs going back thousands of years have 
been tied to humans whether protection, companion-
ship, or assisting in daily activities. 
(2) The United States had an unofficial canine 
military presence assisting soldiers in the Civil War 
and World War I, but military K–9s did not become 
officially recognized until March 13, 1942. During 
the height on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq it 
is estimated that the United States military em-
ployed near 2,500 K–9s. 
(3) Military K–9s have seen service in every 
major United States combat since World War I and 
have been praised by military leadership as an indis-
pensable asset for military, police, government, and 
private security teams around the world. 
(4) In 2000, Congress passed ‘‘Robby’s Law’’ 
which allowed for the adoption of military K–9s by 
law enforcement agencies, former handlers, and 
other care groups. 
(5) Since 2000, military K–9s have left service 
and gone onto work explosive detection for police 
forces, and work as service dogs for veterans and 
families. 
(6) Beyond their military working capacity, 
working dogs provide enhanced mobility assist and 
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renewed independence for the injured and disabled. 
Service dogs are able to support veterans struggling 
after war, hear for those who are deaf, see for those 
who are blind, and even sense changes in a person’s 
body before a seizure. Working dogs play a vital role 
in improving the lives of many. 
(7) The service dog programs of America’s 
VetDogs were created to provide enhanced mobility 
and renewed independence to United States vet-
erans, active-duty service members, and first re-
sponders with disabilities. 
(8) America’s VetDogs provides— 
(A) guide dogs for individuals who are 
blind or have low vision; 
(B) hearing dogs for those who have lost 
their hearing later in life by alerting to alarms, 
door bells, sirens, and more; 
(C) service dogs for those with other phys-
ical disabilities that are specially trained to pro-
vide balance, retrieve dropped items, open and 
close doors, turn on and off lights, carry a 
backpack, and more; 
(D) facility dogs which are specially 
trained to spend time working with wounded 
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veterans recovering at military hospitals and 
veterans medical centers; 
(E) dogs that work with physical and occu-
pational therapists as they treat soldiers and 
become an essential part of the healing process; 
and 
(F) PTSD service dogs that are trained to 
help mitigate the symptoms of PTSD by pro-
viding the emotional and physical support a vet-
eran may need. 
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 
(a) DENOMINATIONS.—The Secretary of the Treas-
ury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) 
shall mint and issue the following coins in commemoration 
of the invaluable service that working dogs provide to soci-
ety. 
(1) $5 GOLD COINS.—Not more than 50,000 $5 
coins, which shall— 
(A) weigh 8.359 grams; 
(B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and 
(C) contain 90 percent gold. 
(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 
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(C) contain not less than 90 percent silver. 
(3) HALF-DOLLAR
CLAD
COINS.—Not more 
than 750,000 half-dollar coins which shall— 
(A) weigh 11.34 grams; 
(B) be struck on a planchet having a di-
ameter 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) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this 
Act shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of 
title 31, United States Code. 
(c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 
5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins 
minted under this Act shall be considered to be numis-
matic items. 
SEC. 4. DESIGNS OF COINS. 
(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The designs of the coins 
minted under this Act shall be emblematic of the 
vast contributions that working dogs serve in society 
to include the range of services that these dogs pro-
vide in detection, military service, therapy and as-
sistance. 
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(2) DESIGNS AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On each coin 
minted under this Act, there shall be— 
(A) a designation of the value of the coin; 
(B) an inscription of the year ‘‘2023’’; and 
(C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, 
‘‘In God We Trust’’, ‘‘United States of Amer-
ica’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’. 
(b) SELECTION.—The designs for the coins minted 
under this Act shall be— 
(1) selected by the Secretary after consultation 
with— 
(A) America’s VetDogs; and 
(B) the Commission of Fine Arts; and 
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory 
Committee. 
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS. 
(a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this 
Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. 
(b) MINT FACILITY.—Only 1 facility of the United 
States Mint may be used to strike any particular quality 
of the coins minted under this Act. 
(c) PERIOD
FOR ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may 
issue coins minted under this Act only during the 1-year 
period beginning on January 1, 2023. 
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SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS. 
(a) SALE PRICE.—The coins issued under this Act 
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 section 7(a) 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 Act at a reasonable 
discount. 
(c) PREPAID ORDERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept 
prepaid orders for the coins minted under this Act 
before the issuance of such coins. 
(2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to pre-
paid orders under paragraph (1) shall be at a rea-
sonable discount. 
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins issued under this 
Act shall include a surcharge of— 
(1) $35 per coin for the $5 coin; 
(2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin; and 
(3) $5 per coin for the half-dollar coin. 
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(b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f)(1) of 
title 31, United States Code, all surcharges received by 
the Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act 
shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to America’s 
VetDogs for application to general expenses associated 
with the fulfillment of the mission of America’s VetDogs, 
including for costs associated with— 
(1) personnel related to training, dog care, and 
consumer needs; 
(2) consultants to facilitate the training of 
America’s VetDogs Certified Service Dog Instruc-
tors; and 
(3) travel, room and board for clients served by 
America’s VetDogs. 
(c) AUDITS.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall have the right to examine such books, records, 
documents, and other data of each of the organizations 
referred to in subsection (b) as may be related to the ex-
penditures of amounts paid under that subsection. 
(d) LIMITATION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), 
no surcharge may be included with respect to the issuance 
under this Act of any coin during a calendar year if, as 
of the time of such issuance, the issuance of such coin 
would result in the number of commemorative coin pro-
grams issued during such year to exceed the annual 2 
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commemorative coin program issuance limitation under 
section 5112(m)(1) of title 31, United States Code (as in 
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act). The Sec-
retary of the Treasury may issue guidance to carry out 
this subsection. 
SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES. 
The Secretary shall take such actions as may be nec-
essary to ensure that— 
(1) minting and issuing coins under this Act 
will not result in any net cost to the United States 
Government; and 
(2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, 
are disbursed to any recipient designated in section 
7 until the total cost of designing and issuing all of 
the coins authorized by this Act (including labor, 
materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, 
marketing, and shipping) is recovered by the United 
States Treasury, consistent with sections 5112(m) 
and 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code. 
SEC. 9. BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 
(a) STATUTORY PAYGO SCORECARDS.—The budg-
etary effects of this section shall not be entered on either 
PAYGO scorecard maintained pursuant to section 4(d) of 
the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 
933(d)). 
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(b) SENATE PAYGO SCORECARDS.—The budgetary 
effects of this section shall not be entered on any PAYGO 
scorecard maintained for purposes of section 4106 of H. 
Con. Res. 71 (115th Congress). 
Æ 
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