Title: U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Congressional Gold Medal Act
Policy area: Sports and Recreation

Summary:
U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Congressional Gold Medal Act
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Women's National Team, in recognition of their contributions and commitment to soccer, women's sports, inclusion, and pay equity.
The medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution and made available for display and research.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3998 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3998

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Women's Soccer 
Team in recognition of their extraordinary contributions and commitment 
         to soccer, women's sports, inclusion, and pay equity.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2019

  Mrs. Beatty (for herself and Mr. Grijalva) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in 
 addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Women's Soccer 
Team in recognition of their extraordinary contributions and commitment 
         to soccer, women's sports, inclusion, and pay equity.

    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 ``U.S. Women's National Soccer Team 
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The United States Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT) 
        has represented the United States in women's soccer 
        internationally since 1985.
            (2) The USWNT has gained international recognition as the 
        most successful Women's World Cup team, winning four Women's 
        World Cup titles, beginning with the first Women's World Cup in 
        1991. The USWNT has participated in every Women's World Cup, 
        placing no lower than third place and reaching the final five 
        times.
            (3) The USWNT won the gold medal in the first Olympic 
        women's soccer tournament in 1996, as well as gold medals in 
        the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympic Games.
            (4) The USWNT has consistently been placed at the top of 
        the FIFA Women's World Rankings and holds the record for the 
        longest period leading the ranking, from March 2008 to December 
        2014.
            (5) The 2019 USWNT team, coached by Jill Ellis, is composed 
        of goalkeepers Adrianna Franch, Ashlyn Harris, and Alyssa 
        Naeher; defenders Abby Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson, Crystal 
        Dunn, Ali Krieger, Kelley O'Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Emily 
        Sonnett; midfielders Morgan Brian, Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, 
        Rose Lavelle, Allie Long, and Samantha Mewis; and forwards 
        Tobin Heath, Carli Lloyd, Jessica McDonald, Alex Morgan, 
        Christen Press, Mallory Pugh, and Megan Rapinoe. Lloyd, Morgan, 
        and Rapinoe served as team co-captains.
            (6) The USWNT won the 2019 Women's World Cup, defeating the 
        Netherlands in the championship game by a score of 2 to 0 on 
        July 7, 2019.
            (7) As the team celebrated on the field, chants of ``Equal 
        Pay'' were reported in the stadium. This reaction from the 
        crowd was prompted by growing awareness and media coverage of 
        the pay inequities experienced by the USWNT compared to their 
        male counterparts.
            (8) The efforts of USWNT regarding wage inequity, in tandem 
        with their continued success on the field, have advanced our 
        Nation's dialogue surrounding complicated issues such as gender 
        equity.
            (9) The USWNT also serves as a powerful and visible 
        advocate of the LGBTQ community in athletics.
            (10) Their work on these issues sets a powerful example to 
        young women across the globe, particularly women athletes, to 
        stand up for equal treatment.

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 the 
Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to the United States 
Women's National Team, in recognition of their extraordinary 
contributions and commitment to soccer, women's sports, inclusion, and 
pay equity.
    (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 should make the gold medal received 
        under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere, 
        particularly at other appropriate locations associated with 
        women's soccer.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to section 3 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, and the cost of the gold medal.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The 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.
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