I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 149
To posthumously award a Congressional gold medal to Celia Cruz. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 4, 2005
Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To posthumously award a Congressional gold medal to Celia 
Cruz.
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 ‘‘Congressional Tribute 
to Celia Cruz Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds as follows: 
(1) Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alonso was raised 
as one of 14 children in the Santa Suarez district 
of Havana, Cuba.
(2) In 1960, Cruz and members of her band 
fled Cuba for the United States to escape the op-
pressive regime of Fidel Castro. 
(3) Celia Cruz and Pedro Knight, her husband 
of 40 years, chose to make America their permanent 
home, where she became a naturalized American cit-
izen. 
(4) While best known for her work as an enter-
tainer, Celia Cruz influenced the lives of millions of 
people as an ambassador of Latino culture and a 
powerful voice of freedom. 
(5) Over a prolific 50-year career as an enter-
tainer, Celia Cruz became known as the ‘‘Queen of 
Salsa’’. 
(6) She recorded over 50 albums, and her col-
laborative efforts with other performers helped break 
down ethnic and cultural barriers. 
(7) The musical talent of Celia Cruz earned her 
hundreds of awards worldwide, most notably a 1990 
Grammy Award and Billboard Magazine’s ‘‘Lifetime 
Achievement Award’’ in 1995. 
(8) In 1994, Cruz was recognized by President 
Clinton with the National Endowment of the Arts 
Award.
(9) On July 17, 2003, ‘‘Celia Cruz’’, as she was 
more commonly known, passed away at her Fort 
Lee, New Jersey, home after battling brain cancer. 
(10) Celia Cruz was much more than just a 
singer to millions of fans worldwide, especially to 
Latinos in America, and her contributions to music, 
Latino culture, and American society make her most 
deserving of America’s highest civilian award, the 
Congressional Gold Medal. 
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 posthumous presentation, on behalf of the Con-
gress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemo-
ration of Celia Cruz, in recognition of her enduring con-
tributions to music, Latino culture, and American society. 
(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For purposes of the 
presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary 
of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 
devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Sec-
retary.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 
bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 
under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at 
a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 
materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, 
and the cost of the gold medal. 
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 
(a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck pursu-
ant to this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 
51 of title 31, United States Code. 
(b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 
5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck 
under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF 
SALE. 
(a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is 
authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 
Public Enterprise Fund, such amounts as may be nec-
essary to pay for the costs of the medals struck pursuant 
to this Act. 
(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the 
sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 
3 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public 
Enterprise Fund.
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