A bill to posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration of the service members who perished as a result of the attack in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021, during the evacuation of citizens of the United States and Afghan allies at Hamid Karzai International Airport, and for other purposes.
Bill: S.2756 | Sponsor: Sen. Daines, Steve (R-MT)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill posthumously provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of the 13 service members who died on August 26, 2021, while stationed at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan.

To posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration of 
     the service members who perished as a result of the attack in 
 Afghanistan on August 26, 2021, during the evacuation of citizens of 
   the United States and Afghan allies at Hamid Karzai International 
                    Airport, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) At 9:44 a.m., on August 26, 2021, the Pentagon 
        confirmed that one explosion occurred at the Hamid Karzai 
        International Airport.
            (2) The explosion was confirmed to be a suicide bombing by 
        ISIS-K terrorist group.
            (3) Estimates as high as 200 deaths were reported, 
        including 13 service members of the United States, as well as 
        hundreds more wounded.
            (4) The attack on Thursday, August 26, 2021, at the Hamid 
        Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, killed 13 
        United States service members, making it the deadliest single 
        day of the war for the United States in more than a decade.
            (5) The American service members went above and beyond the 
        call of duty to protect citizens of the United States and our 
        allies to ensure they are brought to safety in an extremely 
        dangerous situation as the Taliban regained control over 
        Afghanistan.
            (6) The American service members exemplified extreme 
        bravery and valor against armed enemy combatants.
            (7) The American service members dedicated their lives and 
        their heroism deserves great honor.
            (8) Maxton Soviak, Kareem Nikoui, David Espinoza, Rylee 
        McCollum, Jared Schmitz, Hunter Lopez, Taylor Hoover, Daegan 
        William-Tyeler Page, Nicole Gee, Humberto Sanchez, Dylan 
        Merola, Johanny Rosario Pichardo, and Ryan Knauss have been 
        identified as the 13 service members who died from the blast 
        while stationed at Hamid Karzai International Airport.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentations Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make 
appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of 
Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration 
of the 13 service members who perished as a result of the attack in 
Afghanistan, on August 26, 2021.
    (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.
    (c) Smithsonian Institution.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal 
        under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the 
        Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be available for 
        display as appropriate and made available for research.
            (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        the Smithsonian Institution shall make the gold medal received 
        under paragraph (1) available for display outside of the 
        District of Columbia at times, particularly at other locations 
        associated with the 13 service members who perished in 
        Afghanistan on August 26, 2021.

SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to section 2 at a price sufficient to cover the 
cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medal struck pursuant to this Act is a 
national medal 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. 5. 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 
pursuant to this Act.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--The amounts received from the sale of 
duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 3 shall be deposited 
into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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