Title: Coronavirus Front-Line Responders Commemorative Coin Act
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector

Summary:
Coronavirus Front-Line Responders Commemorative Coin Act
This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 300,000 half dollar clad coins in honor and commemoration of the work of the frontline responders to the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19) pandemic.
All surcharges received from the sale of coins issued under this bill shall be promptly paid to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Foundation to support the health care response to infectious diseases and pandemics.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1900 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1900

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration 
    of the health care professionals, first responders, scientists, 
 researchers, all essential workers, and individuals who provided care 
             and services during the coronavirus pandemic.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 16, 2021

Mr. Bergman (for himself and Mr. Neguse) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration 
    of the health care professionals, first responders, scientists, 
 researchers, all essential workers, and individuals who provided care 
             and services during the coronavirus pandemic.

    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 ``Coronavirus Front-Line Responders 
Commemorative Coin Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Health care professionals working with patients in 
        person and via telehealth made incredible sacrifices, including 
        to their own personal wellbeing, to save lives during the 
        coronavirus pandemic.
            (2) First responders and law enforcement upheld their 
        responsibilities at great personal risk to keep our national 
        and local communities safe and slow the spread of the 
        coronavirus.
            (3) Scientists and researchers, including at our nation's 
        research universities, worked tirelessly and in innovative ways 
        to understand, prevent, and treat the coronavirus.
            (4) Individuals and families bravely took on new burdens to 
        care for loved ones impacted by the coronavirus.
            (5) The dedication of countless workers in essential 
        professions made possible the nationwide effort to combat the 
        coronavirus pandemic.
            (6) In the face of an unprecedented public health crisis, 
        the citizens of the United States of America came together and 
        supported the dedicated health care professionals and others on 
        the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to honor and commemorate 
the work of the coronavirus pandemic front-line responders.

SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

    (a) Denominations.--The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in 
this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue the 
following coins:
            (1) $5 gold coins.--Not more than 50,000 $5 coins, which 
        shall--
                    (A) weigh 8.359 grams;
                    (B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and
                    (C) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloy.
            (2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 400,000 $1 coins, which 
        shall--
                    (A) weigh 26.73 grams;
                    (B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
                    (C) contain at least 90 percent silver.
            (3) Half dollar clad coins.--Not more than 300,000 half 
        dollar coins, which shall--
                    (A) weigh 11.34 grams;
                    (B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and
                    (C) be minted to the specifications for half dollar 
                coins, contained in section 5112(b) of title 31, United 
                States Code.
    (b) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this Act shall be legal 
tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code.
    (c) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.
    (d) Mintage Limit Exception.--If the Secretary determines, based on 
independent market-based research conducted by the designated recipient 
organization identified in section 7(b), that the mintage levels 
described in subsections (a), (b), and (c) are not adequate to meet 
public demand, the Secretary may increase the mintage levels as the 
Secretary determines is necessary to meet public demand.

SEC. 4. DESIGNS OF COINS.

    (a) Design Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--The designs of the coins minted under this 
        Act shall be emblematic of the sacrifices made by health care 
        workers and first responders during the coronavirus pandemic.
            (2) Designations and inscriptions.--On each coin minted 
        under this Act, there shall be--
                    (A) a designation of the value of the coin;
                    (B) an inscription of the year ``2024''; and
                    (C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God 
                We Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E 
                Pluribus Unum''.
    (b) Selection.--The designs for the coins minted under this Act 
shall--
            (1) honor the sacrifices made by health care professionals, 
        first responders, scientists, and researchers during the 
        coronavirus pandemic;
            (2) be selected by the Secretary, after consultation with 
        the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Commission 
        of Fine Arts; and
            (3) be reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

    (a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be issued 
in uncirculated and proof qualities.
    (b) Mint Facilities.--Only one facility of the United States Mint 
may be used to strike any particular quality of the coins minted under 
this Act.
    (c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted 
under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning on January 1, 
2024.

SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.

    (a) Sale Price.--The coins issued under this Act shall be sold by 
the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of--
            (1) the face value of the coins;
            (2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with respect to 
        such coins; and
            (3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including 
        labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, 
        marketing, and shipping).
    (b) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the coins 
issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
    (c) Prepaid Orders.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders 
        for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of such 
        coins.
            (2) Discount.--Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders 
        under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.

SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.

    (a) In General.--All sales of coins minted under this Act shall 
include a surcharge as follows:
            (1) A surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin.
            (2) A surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 coin.
            (3) A surcharge of $5 per coin for the half dollar coin.
    (b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United 
States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of 
coins issued under this Act shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to 
the CDC Foundation to support the health care response to infectious 
diseases and pandemics.
    (c) Audits.--The CDC Foundation shall be subject to the audit 
requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, United States Code, 
with regard to the amounts received under subsection (b).
    (d) Limitation.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), no surcharge may 
be included with respect to the issuance under this Act of any coin 
during a calendar year if, as of the time of such issuance, the 
issuance of such coin would result in the number of commemorative coin 
programs issued during such year to exceed the annual 2 commemorative 
coin program issuance limitation under section 5112(m)(1) of title 31, 
United States Code. The Secretary may issue guidance to carry out this 
subsection.

SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.

    The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure 
that--
            (1) minting and issuing coins under this Act will not 
        result in any net cost to the United States Government; and
            (2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, shall be 
        disbursed to any recipient designated in section 7 until the 
        total cost of designing and issuing all of the coins authorized 
        by this Act (including labor, materials, dies, use of 
        machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping) is 
        recovered by the United States Treasury, consistent with 
        sections 5112(m) and 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code.

SEC. 9. MARKETING AND EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN.

    The Secretary is encouraged to develop and execute a marketing and 
educational program, including appropriate cooperative marketing 
opportunities, to promote and sell the coins authorized in section 3.
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