COVID–19 Vaccine Developers Gold Medal Act
Bill: S.2011 | Sponsor: Sen. Coons, Christopher A. (D-DE)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
COVID-19 Vaccine Developers Gold Medal Act
This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to recognize all those whose efforts led to the development of COVID-19 vaccines that received emergency use authorizations.

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to honor the contributions of all 
of those whose efforts led to the successful development of life saving 
               vaccines to combat the novel coronavirus.

    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 ``COVID-19 Vaccine Developers Gold 
Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Researchers, scientists, doctors, epidemiologists, and 
        others around the world have worked tirelessly and 
        collaboratively to develop lifesaving vaccines to combat the 
        coronavirus by reducing the likelihood of transmission, 
        building immune resiliency, avoiding hospitalizations, and 
        reducing the likelihood of death.
            (2) Through the academic, research and analytic expertise 
        of universities and their faculty, researchers, and students, 
        their efforts contributed to providing valuable information to 
        the public on the severity of the coronavirus worldwide and, in 
        some cases, contributed to vaccine development.
            (3) Several of the resulting vaccines represent historic 
        breakthroughs in biopharmaceutical technology, which are 
        predicated on years of leading research conducted in 
        laboratories and hospitals that benefit from the significant 
        financial investment of United States taxpayers through the 
        Department of Health and Human Services, the National 
        Institutes of Health, including the National Institute of 
        Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the Biomedical Advanced 
        Research and Development Authority.
            (4) These professionals worked under record timelines to 
        develop safe, effective vaccines demonstrated in trials and 
        granted emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug 
        Administration, outpacing the typical vaccine development 
        timeframe of 5 to 10 years and beating the previous record by 3 
        years.
            (5) These remarkable achievements in medical science will 
        have positive implications for future vaccine development, 
        helping to combat new viruses, leading to improvements in 
        health and well-being.
            (6) The tremendous efforts in vaccine development can be 
        celebrated and attributed to building diverse teams, including 
        the notable efforts of many individuals across the planet.
            (7) Vaccines authorized for emergency use in the United 
        States benefitted greatly from global cooperation, strategic 
        partnerships, and collaboration with publicly funded agencies 
        and research capabilities of the academic community.
            (8) As a result of the collaborative efforts, people around 
        the world are benefitting from the administration of vaccines, 
        although work remains to support governments around the world 
        in ensuring vaccines are equitably distributed.
            (9) The United States, including through cooperation with 
        bilateral and multilateral partnerships, can help scale up 
        manufacturing and distribution to all corners of the globe.
            (10) The vaccines developed are contributing to the safety 
        of people of the United States, rebuilding the United States 
        economy, and the reunion of families.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS.

    (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 single gold medal of appropriate design in recognition of all 
those whose efforts led to the successful development of vaccines that 
received emergency use authorizations to respond to the coronavirus.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the awards under 
subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this Act 
as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal described in that 
subsection with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be 
determined by the Secretary.
    (c) Smithsonian Institution.--
            (1) In general.--After the award of the gold medal under 
        subsection (a), the medal shall be given to the Smithsonian 
        Institution where the medal shall be--
                    (A) available for display, as appropriate; and
                    (B) 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--
                    (A) the purpose of education, research, and the 
                encouragement of science, technology, engineering, and 
                math professions through the Smithsonian Science 
                Education Center; and
                    (B) on display at a physical Smithsonian museum or 
                on loan, as appropriate, so that the medal may be 
                displayed elsewhere.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    Under regulations that the Secretary may promulgate, the Secretary 
may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck under 
section 3 at a price sufficient to cover the cost of the medals, 
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 sections 5134 and 5136 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 sums 
as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medal authorized under 
section 3.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited in the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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