I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3544
To provide for a congressional medal of appropriate design to be awarded
by the President to civilians killed or wounded in terrorist attacks.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
DECEMBER 19, 2001
Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York (for herself, Ms. LEE, Mr. FROST, Mr. OWENS,
Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. FOSSELLA, Mr.
HINCHEY, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. NADLER, and Mr. MCNULTY) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Serv-
ices
A BILL
To provide for a congressional medal of appropriate design
to be awarded by the President to civilians killed or
wounded in terrorist attacks.
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 ‘‘Spirit of the Nation
Medal Act’’.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Since September 11, 2001, the United
States has been engaged in a war different from any
other in our Nation’s history.
(2) In the eyes of the terrorists, we are all the
enemy and the term ‘‘innocent civilian’’ has no
meaning for them.
(3) The deaths by airplane at the World Trade
Center, at the Pentagon, and in rural Pennsylvania
and the deaths by anthrax at United States Postal
Service facilities and the media represent an esca-
lation of direct terrorist attacks on civilians.
(4) Given the unprecedented nature of the at-
tacks against the United States of America and the
need to properly demonstrate the support of the
country for the victims of terrorism it is only fitting
that we recognize their sacrifice with an appropriate
medal.
SEC. 3. SPIRIT OF THE NATION MEDALS.
(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The President
may present, on behalf of the Congress, to each individual
referred to in subsection (c), or such individual’s personal
representative or next of kin in the case of a deceased indi-
vidual, a medal of appropriate design, in recognition of
the sacrifice made by such individual.
(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of the presen-
tations referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of
the Treasury shall strike medals of such content and
with such suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions
as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(2) CONSULTATION.—Before making a final de-
termination with respect to the design of the medals
under this subsection, the Secretary of the Treasury
shall consult with the Secretary of Defense and such
other parties as the Secretary of the Treasury may
determine to be appropriate.
(c) ELIGIBILITY TO RECEIVE MEDAL.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Any individual who is killed
or wounded, on or after September 11, 2001, as a
direct result of an act of terrorism within the United
States shall be eligible for a medal referred to in
subsection (a).
(2) DETERMINATION.—Eligibility under para-
graph (1) shall be determined by the Secretary of
the Treasury, in consultation with such other offi-
cers of the United States Government, and State
and local officials, as the Secretary determines to be
appropriate.
(3) ESTABLISHMENT OF LIST.—
(A) INITIAL LIST.—Before the end of the
120-day period beginning on the date of the en-
actment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treas-
ury shall establish a list of the names of indi-
viduals who became eligible to receive a medal
in accordance with paragraph (1) during the
period beginning on September 11, 2001, and
ending on such date of enactment.
(B) SUBSEQUENT ELIGIBILITY.—If any in-
dividual become eligible for a medal in accord-
ance with paragraph (1) after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the
Treasury shall promptly add such individual’s
name to the list prepared pursuant to subpara-
graph (A).
(4) TERRORISM
DEFINED.—The term ‘‘ter-
rorism’’ means premeditated, politically motivated
violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets
by subnational groups or clandestine agents, domes-
tic or foreign.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.
The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United
States Code.
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