I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5521 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Peace Corps volunteers, in 
recognition of their outstanding accomplishments, continuous dedication 
to world peace and friendship, and their honorable service to the Nation 
for 65 years. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 19, 2025 
Ms. MCCOLLUM (for herself, Mr. RUTHERFORD, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. 
BERGMAN, and Mr. LANDSMAN) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Peace Corps 
volunteers, in recognition of their outstanding accom-
plishments, continuous dedication to world peace and 
friendship, and their honorable service to the Nation 
for 65 years. 
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 ‘‘Peace Corps Volun-
teers Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATED TO REC-
OGNITION OF PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 
(1) In 2026, our Nation celebrates the 65th an-
niversary of the establishment of the Peace Corps, 
one of the most beneficial and celebrated inter-
national assistance programs in the world. 
(2) Nearly 250,000 Peace Corps Volunteers (in 
this section referred to as the ‘‘Volunteers’’) have 
served our Nation with distinction. Volunteers have 
been integral in promoting world peace and friend-
ship in more than 140 countries around the globe. 
Their expertise in a wide variety of sectors, includ-
ing agriculture, community economic development, 
education, environment, health, and youth in devel-
opment, has contributed significantly to the needs of 
foreign countries on many levels. 
(3) The Congressional Gold Medal is intended 
to honor those Volunteers who served between Au-
gust 28, 1961, when the first Volunteers departed 
from the United States for Ghana, and December 
31, 2026. 
(4) President John F. Kennedy expressed his 
call to service for Americans during his inaugural 
address on January 20, 1961, when he said, ‘‘And 
so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country 
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can do for you—ask what you can do for your coun-
try. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what 
America will do for you, but what together we can 
do for the freedom of man.’’. 
(5) On March 1, 1961, President Kennedy 
signed Executive Order 10924 (26 Fed. Reg. 1789) 
establishing the Peace Corps. At a State Depart-
ment press conference after signing the Executive 
order, President Kennedy said, ‘‘We will send those 
abroad who are committed to the concept which mo-
tivates the Peace Corps. It will not be easy. None of 
the men and women will be paid a salary. They will 
live at the same level as the citizens of the country 
which they are sent to, doing the same work, eating 
the same food, speaking the same language. We are 
going to put particular emphasis on those men and 
women who have skills in teaching, agriculture, and 
in health. I am hopeful it will be a source of satis-
faction to Americans and a contribution to world 
peace.’’. 
(6) When President Kennedy signed the Peace 
Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501 et seq.) on September 
22, 1961, providing the legislative foundation for the 
Peace Corps, the White House released a statement 
saying, ‘‘With the enactment of this legislation, an 
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avenue is provided by which Americans can serve 
their country in the cause of world peace and under-
standing and simultaneously assist other nations to-
ward their legitimate goals of freedom and oppor-
tunity.’’. 
(7) Individuals across our Nation were inspired 
to serve as Volunteers supported by the leadership 
and vision of Sargent Shriver, who served as the 
first Director of the Peace Corps from 1961 to 
1966. The Volunteers shared his vision, which be-
came the mission of the Peace Corps: ‘‘To promote 
world peace and friendship through community- 
based 
development 
and 
intercultural 
under-
standing.’’. Volunteers were strongly encouraged to 
respect local customs, learn the prevailing language, 
and live in comparable conditions. 
(8) Volunteers’ service is guided by the 3 goals 
of the Peace Corps: 
(A) ‘‘To help the countries interested in 
meeting their need for trained people.’’. Volun-
teers exchange skills and knowledge with com-
munity members in their welcoming host coun-
tries to help create sustainable change through 
work in the sectors described in paragraph (2). 
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