Democracy in Hong Kong Congressional Gold Medal Act
Bill: S.2303 | Sponsor: Sen. Sasse, Ben (R-NE)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Democracy in Hong Kong Congressional Gold Medal Act
This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, Ryan Law Wai-kwong, Cheung Kim-hung, and all the other individuals who worked for Apple Daily, a Hong Kong media company, in recognition of their commitment to freedom and democracy in Hong Kong.

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Lai Chee ying (``Jimmy Lai''), 
Law Wai kwong (``Ryan Law''), Cheung Kim hung, Chow Tat kuen (``Royston 
 Chow''), Chan Pui man, Cheung Chi wai, Yeung Ching kee (``Li Ping''), 
and all the men and women who worked for Apple Daily in recognition of 
 their commitment to freedom and democracy in Hong Kong in the face of 
              the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party.

    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 ``Democracy in Hong Kong Congressional 
Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Lai Chee ying (``Jimmy Lai'') is a Hong Kong 
        entrepreneur, pro-democracy activist and founder of Giordano, 
        an Asian clothing retainer, Next Digital, a Hong Kong-listed 
        media company, and the popular newspaper Apple Daily.
            (2) Lai is a prominent critic of the Chinese Communist 
        Party and was a leader of Hong Kong's 2014 Umbrella Movement 
        and has been accused and tried for his involvement in the 2019-
        2020 pro-democracy movement. Lai has been unjustly arrested on 
        multiple occasions for his criticism of the Chinese Communist 
        Party.
            (3) On August 10, 2020, Lai was arrested on suspicion of 
        ``collaborating with foreign forces'' and the offices of Apple 
        Daily were raided by Hong Kong police officers. The charges 
        were brought forth under the Law of the People's Republic of 
        China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong 
        Special Administrative Region enacted by the Chinese Communist 
        Party on June 30, 2020.
            (4) In December 2020, Lai was awarded the ``Freedom of 
        Press Award'' by Reporters Without Borders for his role in 
        founding Apple Daily.
            (5) On April 16, 2021, after a sham trial, Lai was 
        sentenced to 14 months in prison for his support of democracy 
        in Hong Kong.
            (6) On June 17, 2021, police again raided Apple Daily's 
        news room, seized journalists' computers, arrested top editors, 
        and froze $2,300,000 of the paper's assets. Among the arrested 
        were Next's chief executive, Cheung Kim hung, and Chow Tat kuen 
        (``Royston Chow''), its chief operating officer, Law Wai kwong 
        (``Ryan Law''), Apple Daily's chief editor, Cheung Chi wai, the 
        chief executive editor, and Chan Pui man, deputy chief editor.
            (7) On June 23, 2021, Apple Daily announced its forced 
        closure due to the current circumstances in Hong Kong. Apple 
        Daily's lead opinion writer, Yeung Ching kee, who publishes 
        under the name Li Ping was also arrested.
            (8) Even amidst the raids and arrests, Apple Daily 
        heroically continued to report on the police operation with 
        reporters writing on their phones after their computers were 
        seized.
            (9) Apple Daily has, at great cost, demonstrated the 
        importance of maintaining freedom of speech and of the press in 
        spite of the vicious authoritarianism of the Chinese Communist 
        Party.
            (10) The reporters, journalists, editors, and employees at 
        both Apple Daily and Next Digital have exhibited courage and 
        determination in the face of the Chinese Communist Party's 
        tyranny and deserve to be commended by the people of the United 
        States for their fight for freedom and truth.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall make 
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, 
of a gold medal of appropriate design to Lai Chee ying (``Jimmy Lai''), 
Law Wai kwong (``Ryan Law''), Cheung Kim hung, Chow Tat kuen (``Royston 
Chow''), Chan Pui man, Cheung Chi wai, Yeung Ching kee (``Li Ping''), 
and all the men and women who worked for Apple Daily in recognition of 
their commitment to freedom and democracy in Hong Kong in the face of 
the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party.
    (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 ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable 
emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the 
Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal 
struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the 
medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS.

    Medals struck pursuant to this Act are National medals for purposes 
of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

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 necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
under this Act.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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