Buffalo Soldiers Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.1399 | Sponsor: Rep. Brown, Anthony G. (D-MD)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Buffalo Soldiers Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021
This bill provides for a Congressional Gold Medal to be awarded to the Buffalo Soldier regiments (six all-Black calvary and infantry regiments authorized by Congress in 1866 to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces), in recognition of their vital service to the United States.
Following the award of the medal, it shall be given to the National Museum of African American History and Culture of the Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be displayed as appropriate and made available for research.

To award a Congressional Gold Medal collectively to the Buffalo Soldier 
regiments, authorized by Congress in 1866 to serve in the United States 
 Armed Forces, in recognition of their superior, dedicated, and vital 
                         service to our Nation.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Buffalo Soldiers Congressional Gold 
Medal Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) In 1866, Congress passed the Army Organization Act 
        which authorized the creation of six all-Black cavalry and 
        infantry regiments. These regiments remained active until the 
        Army was desegregated in 1951.
            (2) According to legend, American Indians called the Black 
        cavalry troops ``Buffalo Soldiers'' because of their dark, 
        curly hair, which resembled a buffalo's coat.
            (3) The African-American troops accepted the name with 
        pride and honor, as they were aware of the buffalo's fierce 
        bravery and fighting spirit.
            (4) The original six regiments melded into the following 
        four regiments:
                    (A) The 9th Cavalry Regiment assembled in New 
                Orleans, Louisiana in August and September of 1866. 
                They were ordered to San Antonio, Texas in April, 1867, 
                with the mission to maintain order and to secure the 
                road from San Antonia to El Paso.
                    (B) The 10th Cavalry Regiment gathered in Fort 
                Leavenworth, Kansas during the summer of 1867. In 
                August, 1867, they were ordered to Fort Riley, Kansas 
                with the mission of protecting the Pacific Railroad.
                    (C) The 24th Infantry Regiment was organized in 
                1869, forming from the 38th and 41st Colored Infantry 
                Regiments. They served throughout the Western United 
                States, with the mission to protect frontier posts and 
                secure roadways.
                    (D) The 25th Infantry Regiment assembled at Camp 
                William Penn, Pennsylvania beginning in January 1864. 
                They were assigned to numerous districts within the 
                Department of the Gulf with the mission to maintain 
                security.
            (5) Buffalo Soldiers also assisted in the protection of 
        National Parks. They helped fight wildfires and poachers in the 
        Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks and served as park rangers 
        in the Sierra Nevada.
            (6) In the Spanish American War, all four regiments played 
        key roles and fought with distinction, despite facing severe 
        discrimination from the locals.
            (7) At the start of World War I, the Buffalo Soldier 
        regiments were dispatched to locations throughout central 
        United States and into the Pacific, offering logistics and 
        support behind the front lines in the American Expeditionary 
        Forces.
            (8) During World War II, African-American soldiers and 
        units continued to serve proudly under the name ``Buffalo 
        Soldier'', including the 92nd Infantry Division, which was the 
        only Black division that saw combat in Europe.
            (9) In the Korean War, Buffalo Soldier regiments fought 
        throughout the Korean peninsula, from the defense of the 
        ``Pusan Perimeter'' to the counteroffensives which resulted in 
        the end of armed hostilities and the creation of the 
        Demilitarized Zone.
            (10) Buffalo Soldiers had the lowest military desertion and 
        court-martial rates of their time. In recognition of combat 
        valor and their actions beyond the call of duty, many were 
        awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
            (11) The Congressional Gold Medal would be an appropriate 
        way to shed further light on the service of the Buffalo 
        Soldiers and the instrumental role they played in instilling an 
        approach to inclusivity within our military and the American 
        way of life.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives 
and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate 
arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold 
medal of appropriate design to the Buffalo Soldier regiments, 
authorized by Congress in 1866 to serve in the United States Armed 
Forces, in recognition of their superior, dedicated, and vital service 
to our Nation.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award described 
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (in this Act referred 
to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable 
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
    (c) Smithsonian Institution.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal 
        under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the 
        National Museum of African American History and Culture of the 
        Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be displayed as 
        appropriate and made available for research.
            (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal received 
        under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere, 
        particularly at other locations and events associated with the 
        Buffalo Soldiers.

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, at a price sufficient to cover the cost 
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medals struck under 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. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

    The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying 
with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by 
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO 
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional 
Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that 
such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
                                 <all>