To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King, an American icon, in recognition of a remarkable life devoted to championing equal rights for all, in sports and in society.

Bill: 118-hr-1831
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
Introduced: 2023-03-28
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Subjects: Athletes

Congressional tributes

Professional sports

Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination

Women's rights
Latest action: action_date: 2023-03-28
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-03-28
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This bill provides for&nbsp;the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King in recognition of her&nbsp;courageous and groundbreaking leadership in advancing equal rights for women&nbsp;in athletics, education, and society.</p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1831 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 28, 2023 Mr. Fitzpatrick (for himself, Ms. Sherrill , Mr. Lawler , Mr. Robert Garcia of California , Ms. Malliotakis , Mr. Correa , Mr. Mike Garcia of California , Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida , Mrs. Kim of California , Ms. Velázquez , Mrs. Steel , Ms. Meng , Mr. Carter of Georgia , and Mr. Gottheimer ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services A BILL To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King, an American icon, in recognition of a remarkable life devoted to championing equal rights for all, in sports and in society.

1. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Billie Jean King, born Billie Jean Moffitt, on November 22, 1943, in Long Beach, California, demonstrated athletic prowess from a young age. She was introduced to tennis at the age of 11, and soon after, Billie Jean purchased her first tennis racket using money she earned working various jobs in her neighborhood. (2) Billie Jean broke numerous barriers to become a number one professional tennis player. She dominated women’s tennis with 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles, including a record 20 championships at Wimbledon. She also was a member of 3 World TeamTennis championship teams. (3) After growing in prominence, Billie Jean used her platform as a celebrity to fight for equal rights and opportunities for equality for all in sports—and society—in the United States. (4) Billie Jean played an instrumental role in the passage of Title IX, a law that mandates equal funding for women’s and men’s sports programs in schools and colleges. This legislation has unlocked a world of opportunities for girls and women in education and sports. (5) During Billie Jean’s career, the pay difference between prize money for men and women in tennis continued to expand. By the early 1970s, the pay gap in prize money reached ratios of as much as 12 to 1. Fewer and fewer tournaments were hosting women’s events. Billie Jean harnessed the energy of the women’s rights movement to create a women’s tennis tour that would elevate women’s tennis and establish pay equity within the sport. Along with 8 other women tennis players, she formed an independent women's professional tennis circuit, the Virginia Slims Series. (6) In 1973, Billie Jean founded the Women’s Tennis Association, today’s principal governing body for women's professional tennis. (7) Billie Jean helped found womenSports magazine and founded the Women’s Sports Foundation. Both have been at the forefront of advancing women’s voice in sports. (8) Billie Jean successfully lobbied for equal prize money for men and women at the 1973 U.S. Open Tennis Championships. It would take another 34 years for the other 3 major tournaments to all offer equal prize money. (9) In 1973, Billie Jean played a tennis match against Bobby Riggs, a former World Number 1 player who sought to undermine the credibility and prominence of women in sports. Billie Jean defeated Riggs in what became a firm declaration of women’s role in sports and society. (10) Billie Jean King was the first tennis player and woman to be named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year, one of the 100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century by LIFE magazine, was the recipient of the 1999 Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, and has been admitted to the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame, the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and the National Women’s Hall of Fame. (11) In 2006, the United States Tennis Association recognized Billie Jean’s immeasurable impact on the sport of tennis by renaming the site of the US Open in her honor as the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York. This was the first time a major sporting complex was named after a woman. (12) In 2009, Billie Jean was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation’s highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama for her impactful work advocating for the rights of women. She was the first female athlete to receive this honor. (13) In 2014, Billie Jean King founded the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative to empower companies and individuals to create inclusive work environments that celebrate and promote diversity and equality in the workplace. (14) In 2020, Fed Cup, the world cup of women’s tennis, was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup, making it the first global team competition to be named after a woman. (15) Billie Jean King’s extraordinary courage, leadership, and activism helped propel the women’s movement forward, and open doors for countless Americans. On and off the court, Billie Jean has served as an inspiration to millions of people the world over. Few women and men have had a greater impact on their sport and on our society than Billie Jean King. 2. 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 Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design, to Billie Jean King, in recognition of her contribution to the Nation and her courageous and groundbreaking leadership advancing equal rights for women in athletics, education, and our society. (b) Design and striking For the purpose of the presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the Secretary ) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary. 3. Duplicate medals Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, 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 of the bronze medals (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses). 4. National medals The medals struck under this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.