First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act
Bill: S.3607 | Sponsor: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon (D-RI)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act
This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment, collectively, in recognition of their dedicated service during the Revolutionary War.

To award a Congressional gold medal, collectively, to the First Rhode 
 Island Regiment, in recognition of their dedicated service during the 
                           Revolutionary War.

    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 ``First Rhode Island Regiment 
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) During the winter at Valley Forge, from 1777-1778, the 
        Continental Army had difficulty recruiting the necessary quotas 
        of men set by the Congress.
            (2) At the same time, the State of Rhode Island was ordered 
        to supply two battalions while faced with the occupation of the 
        City of Newport by the British.
            (3) In January 1778, at the urging of Brigadier General 
        James Varnum, General George Washington wrote to Governor 
        Nicholas Cooke of the State of Rhode Island requesting 
        assistance recruiting men for the Continental Line.
            (4) On February 14, 1778, the Rhode Island General Assembly 
        voted to allow the enlistment of ``every able-bodied negro, 
        mulatto, or Indian man slave''.
            (5) In addition, the Rhode Island General Assembly provided 
        that any enlisted slave ``upon his passing muster before 
        Colonel Christopher Greene, be immediately discharged from the 
        service of his master or mistress, and be absolutely free as 
        though he had never been incumbered and be incumbered with any 
        kind of servitude or slavery.''.
            (6) As a result, between February 1778 and June 1778, 
        Colonel Christopher Greene, Lt. Colonel Jeremiah Olney and 
        Major Samuel Ward recruited almost 200 men of African heritage 
        and Indigenous descent who formed the core of the First Rhode 
        Island Regiment.
            (7) The First Rhode Island Regiment became among the first 
        units in American History in which men of every race and 
        ethnicity were recruited to serve.
            (8) On August 28, 1778, at the Battle of Rhode Island, 
        following an attempted siege of British-occupied Newport along 
        with the newly allied French fleet, the First Rhode Island 
        Regiment acted heroically in holding back Hessian forces and 
        causing them to retreat.
            (9) During the Battle of Rhode Island, the First Rhode 
        Island Regiment's losses included three killed, nine wounded 
        and eleven missing soldiers.
            (10) For an additional 5 years, the First Rhode Island 
        Regiment fought bravely to win American independence including 
        at Fort Oswego, Saratoga, and Yorktown.
            (11) On June 13, 1783, at Saratoga, the First Rhode Island 
        Regiment was demobilized.
            (12) Their commander, Colonel Jeremiah Olney, praised the 
        Regiment for ``faithfully preserving in the best of causes, in 
        every stage of service, with unexampled fortitude and patience 
        through all the danger and toils of a long and severe war''.
            (13) Afterwards, some veterans of the First Rhode Island 
        Regiment had to consistently resist efforts at re-enslavement 
        and fought for back wages from the Rhode Island General 
        Assembly.
            (14) According to the Rhode Island State Archives, the 
        First Rhode Island Regiment included at least the following 
        soldiers: Babcock, Priamus (Primus); Bent, Prince; Bours, Cato; 
        Brown, Priamus (Primus); Burk, Africa; Burroughs, John; 
        Carpenter, Cudgo; Champlin, Dick; Champlin, Jack; Champlin, 
        July; Champlin, Newport; Champlin, Sharper; Champlin, York; 
        Clark, James; Coddington, Jack; Fones, Jack; Gardner, Cuff; 
        Gardner, Hercules; Gardner, Minkl; Gardner, Preamus (Primus); 
        Gardner, Rutter; Gray, Ebenezer; Green, Cuff; Greene, Cato; 
        Greene, Jack; Greene, Pero; Greene, William; Hammond, Prince; 
        Harriss, Cesar; Hazard, Backus; Hazard, Jabin; Hazard, Jacob; 
        Hazard, Peter; Hazard, Peter; Lefavour, Thom; Mason, Warsen; 
        Mawney, Cyrus; Minturn, Jack; Mowrey, Pero; Nichols, Thomas; 
        Perry, Ganset; Phillips, Philow; Pierce, Titus; Potter, David; 
        Randall, Prince; Rhodes, Bristol; Rhodes, Priamus; Rhodes, 
        Richard; Rhodes, Samuel; Richmond, Ebenezer; Robinson, Mingo; 
        Rodman, Isaac; Rodman, Mingo; Rodman, Prince; Rose, Cesar; 
        Saltonstall, Brittain; Saunders, Sampson; Sheldon, Cesar; 
        Slave; Slave; Smith, Juba; Sweeling, Query; Talbot, Sigby; 
        Tanner, Quam; Tillinghast, Cuff; Updike, Cesar; Updike, Moses; 
        Vaughan, Prince; Vernon, Cato; Watson, Fortune; Wells, Cesar; 
        Wickes, Nat; and Willbour, Boston.

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 the Congress, of a single gold 
medal of appropriate design to the First Rhode Island Regiment, 
collectively in recognition of their dedicated service during the 
Revolutionary War.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to 
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike the gold medal with 
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 
Secretary.
    (c) Rhode Island State Library.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in 
        honor of the First Rhode Island Regiment of the Revolutionary 
        War under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the 
        Rhode Island State Library, where it will be displayed as 
        appropriate and made available for research.
            (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        the Rhode Island State Library should make the gold medal 
        received under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere, 
        particularly at other appropriate locations associated with the 
        First Rhode Island Regiment of the Revolutionary War.

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. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--Medals struck pursuant 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 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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