United States Foreign Service Commemorative Coin Act

Bill: 118-s-789
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
Introduced: 2023-03-14
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Latest action: action_date: 2023-03-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-03-14
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>United States Foreign Service Commemorative Coin Act </b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service. </p> <p>All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of such coins must be paid to the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training to support the collection, curation, and sharing of diplomatic history in the United States via oral history, books, social media, and other means. </p>

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 789 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 14, 2023 Mr. Van Hollen (for himself and Mr. Sullivan ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs A BILL To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint a coin in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service and its contribution to United States diplomacy.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the United States Foreign Service Commemorative Coin Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) On September 15, 1789, the 1st United States Congress passed an Act creating the Department of State and appointing duties to it, including the keeping of the Great Seal of the United States. Initially there were 2 services devoted to diplomatic and to consular activity. The Diplomatic Service provided ambassadors and staff for embassies overseas, while the Consular Service provided consuls to assist United States sailors and promote international trade and commerce. (2) After World War I ended, Congress complemented the earlier efforts for Civil Service reform, interrupted by World War I, to create a career, professional diplomatic service. Representative John Jacob Rogers of Massachusetts introduced his first Foreign Service reform bill in 1919, followed by several others. He was strongly supported in his efforts by Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes. The legislation provided improvements in the Diplomatic and Consular Services to attract highly qualified candidates by keen competition . The objective was to create a real diplomatic career, open to any American citizen who has the necessary qualifications . (3) The Act entitled An Act for the reorganization and improvement of the Foreign Service of the United States, and for other purposes , approved May 24, 1924 (43 Stat. 140, chapter 182) (commonly known as the Rogers Act of 1924 ), unified the Diplomatic and Consular Services in one career organization based on competitive examination and merit promotion. It was named the Foreign Service of the United States of America . President Calvin Coolidge signed the bill into law on May 24, 1924. The first class of new Foreign Service officers was held in 1925. (4) The Foreign Service of the United States is the primary United States Federal Government professional cadre of generalists and specialists charged with the conduct of United States diplomacy under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of more than 15,000 career professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding United States citizens abroad. (5) In 1946, after World War II, Congress passed the Foreign Service Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 999, chapter 957) to update the 1924 Rogers Act. (6) In 1980, the Congress again updated the Rogers Act, passing the Foreign Service Act of 1980 ( 22 U.S.C. 3901 et seq. ), to promote the foreign policy of the United States by strengthening and improving the Foreign Service of the United States. (7) Since the creation of the United States Foreign Service, generations of Foreign Service members and families have represented the United States around the world, in peace and war. Over 320 names are inscribed in the memorial plaques erected by the American Foreign Service Association and located in the lobby of the Harry S. Truman Building, the headquarters of the Department of State, to honor diplomatic and consular officers of the United States who while on active duty lost their lives under heroic or tragic circumstances . (8) The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training is dedicated to capturing, preserving, and sharing the experiences of United States diplomats. The Association has created, managed, and maintained a Foreign Affairs Oral History program consisting of more than 2,600 first-person oral histories of United States diplomats to capture and share the legacy and contributions of modern United States diplomacy. The Association is a nongovernmental, member-based, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization housed on the campus of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center and dependent on funds from members, donations, contracts, and grants to sustain its work. 3. Coin specifications (a) Denominations In celebration of diplomacy and in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service, 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 not less than 90 percent gold. (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 not less than 90 percent silver. (3) Half-dollar clad coins Not more than 750,000 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. 4. Designs of coins (a) Design requirements (1) In general The designs of the coins minted under this Act shall be emblematic of the importance of diplomacy to the national interest of the United States and of the creation of the United States Foreign Service and its contributions to modern diplomacy in the United States. (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 2025 ; 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 be— (1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training and the Commission of Fine Arts; and (2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. 5. Issuance of coins (a) Quality of coins Coins minted under this Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. (b) Period for issuance The Secretary may issue coins minted under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning on January 1, 2025. 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. 7. Surcharges (a) In general All sales of coins issued under this Act shall include a surcharge of— (1) $35 per coin for the $5 coins; (2) $10 per coin for the $1 coins; and (3) $5 for the half dollar coins. (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 Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training to support the collection, curation, and sharing of diplomatic history in the United States via oral history, books, social media, and other means. (c) Audits The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training 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 (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act). The Secretary may issue guidance to carry out this subsection. 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, are disbursed to the 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.