To award three congressional gold medals to the United States Capitol Police and those who protect the U.S. Capitol.
Bill: H.R.1965 | Sponsor: Rep. Gohmert, Louie (R-TX)
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
This bill directs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of three Congressional Gold Medals to the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) and other law enforcement agencies that protect the U.S. Capitol.
Following the award of these medals, one medal shall be given to the USCP, one medal shall be given to the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and one medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution and displayed with a plaque listing all law enforcement agencies that participate in protecting the Capitol.

To award three congressional gold medals to the United States Capitol 
             Police and those who protect the U.S. Capitol.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The United States Capitol Police (``Capitol Police'') 
        are essential to the protection of the U.S. Capitol, and each 
        person who works in or visits the complex depends on them for 
        their safety.
            (2) In their dedication to provide this essential safety to 
        the U.S. Capitol, numerous Capitol Police and other law 
        enforcement have even paid with their lives while in the line 
        of duty.
            (3) Those who have paid with their lives in the line of 
        duty include Sergeant Christopher S. Eney in 1984; Officer 
        Jacob J. Chestnut and Detective John M. Gibson in 1998; and 
        Sergeant Clinton J. Holtz in 2014.
            (4) Most recently, we mourn the losses of Capitol Police 
        Officers Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood, and Metropolitan 
        Police Department Officer Jeffrey Smith, who all passed in 
        January 2021.
            (5) The sacrifices made by each of these men are never 
        forgotten in the U.S. Congress and by the many individuals who 
        benefit from their service.
            (6) The service and sacrifices of the Capitol Police should 
        be recognized and honored.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS.

    (a) Presentation Authorization.--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 the 
Congress, of three gold medals to the United States Capitol Police and 
those who protect the U.S. Capitol.
    (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 gold medals with the 
official emblem of the United States Capitol Police.
    (c) Disposition of Medals.--Following the award of the gold medals 
under subsection (a):
            (1) USCP headquarters.--One gold medal shall be given to 
        the United States Capitol Police, so that the medal may be 
        displayed at the headquarters of the United States Capitol 
        Police and made available for research, as appropriate.
            (2) DC metropolitan police department headquarters.--One 
        gold medal shall be given to the Metropolitan Police Department 
        of the District of Columbia, so that the medal may be displayed 
        at the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Department and 
        made available for research, as appropriate.
            (3) Smithsonian institution.--
                    (A) In general.--One gold medal shall be given to 
                the Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be 
                available for display as appropriate and available for 
                research.
                    (B) Plaque.--In displaying the gold medal given 
                under subparagraph (A), the Smithsonian Institution 
                shall display the medal with a plaque that lists the 
                other law enforcement agencies that participate in 
                protecting the U.S. Capitol.
                    (C) Sense of the congress.--It is the sense of the 
                Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should make 
                the gold medal given under subparagraph (A) available 
                for display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate 
                locations associated with the protection of the U.S. 
                Capitol.

SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medals 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.

SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of the Congress that the United States Mint should 
expedite production of the gold medals and duplicate medals under this 
Act, so that the sacrifices of fallen officers and their families, and 
the contributions of other law enforcement agencies who answered the 
call of duty, can be recognized and honored in a timely and ongoing 
manner.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS.

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