Peace Corps Volunteers Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025

Bill: 119-hr-5521
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4]
Introduced: 2025-09-19
Latest action: action_date: 2025-09-19
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5521 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 19, 2025 Ms. McCollum (for herself, Mr. Rutherford , Mr. Garamendi , Mr. Bergman , and Mr. Landsman ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services A BILL To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Peace Corps volunteers, in recognition of their outstanding accomplishments, continuous dedication to world peace and friendship, and their honorable service to the Nation for 65 years.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Peace Corps Volunteers Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025 . 2. Findings; Sense of Congress related to recognition of Peace Corps Volunteers (a) Findings The Congress finds the following: (1) In 2026, our Nation celebrates the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the Peace Corps, one of the most beneficial and celebrated international assistance programs in the world. (2) Nearly 250,000 Peace Corps Volunteers (in this section referred to as the Volunteers ) have served our Nation with distinction. Volunteers have been integral in promoting world peace and friendship in more than 140 countries around the globe. Their expertise in a wide variety of sectors, including agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health, and youth in development, has contributed significantly to the needs of foreign countries on many levels. (3) The Congressional Gold Medal is intended to honor those Volunteers who served between August 28, 1961, when the first Volunteers departed from the United States for Ghana, and December 31, 2026. (4) President John F. Kennedy expressed his call to service for Americans during his inaugural address on January 20, 1961, when he said, And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. . (5) On March 1, 1961, President Kennedy signed Executive Order 10924 (26 Fed. Reg. 1789) establishing the Peace Corps. At a State Department press conference after signing the Executive order, President Kennedy said, We will send those abroad who are committed to the concept which motivates the Peace Corps. It will not be easy. None of the men and women will be paid a salary. They will live at the same level as the citizens of the country which they are sent to, doing the same work, eating the same food, speaking the same language. We are going to put particular emphasis on those men and women who have skills in teaching, agriculture, and in health. I am hopeful it will be a source of satisfaction to Americans and a contribution to world peace. . (6) When President Kennedy signed the Peace Corps Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2501 et seq. ) on September 22, 1961, providing the legislative foundation for the Peace Corps, the White House released a statement saying, With the enactment of this legislation, an avenue is provided by which Americans can serve their country in the cause of world peace and understanding and simultaneously assist other nations toward their legitimate goals of freedom and opportunity. . (7) Individuals across our Nation were inspired to serve as Volunteers supported by the leadership and vision of Sargent Shriver, who served as the first Director of the Peace Corps from 1961 to 1966. The Volunteers shared his vision, which became the mission of the Peace Corps: To promote world peace and friendship through community-based development and intercultural understanding. . Volunteers were strongly encouraged to respect local customs, learn the prevailing language, and live in comparable conditions. (8) Volunteers’ service is guided by the 3 goals of the Peace Corps: (A) To help the countries interested in meeting their need for trained people. . Volunteers exchange skills and knowledge with community members in their welcoming host countries to help create sustainable change through work in the sectors described in paragraph (2). (B) To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served. . Through their service, Volunteers share the United States and its values. Their outstanding contributions to the nations of the world help promote cultural understanding. (C) To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. . Volunteers immerse themselves in local cultures, and learn about opportunities, resources, and people in their host countries. When they return to the United States, they share their experiences with family, friends, and the public, which helps promote cultural understanding, volunteerism, and public service. (9) During a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House on April 23, 1985, accompanied by Vice President George H.W. Bush and Peace Corps Director Loret Miller Ruppe, President Ronald Reagan wished Volunteers success for their assignments in Africa, saying, Soon you'll be in Africa, where you'll be a vital part of the relief aid to help the millions suffering from malnutrition and starvation. You'll be living in some of the most impoverished countries of the world, working in food production, soil conservation, fisheries production, forest preservation, and water supply development. By bringing your training and skills to bear on the underlying problems of agricultural and economic development, you can help your host nations make the difficult but vital journey from dependence on short-term aid to self-sufficiency. Vice President Bush returned from his trip to the famine-stricken regions of Africa, he gave me a personal account of the heartbreaking conditions in that land. While there, he visited one Peace Corps project, and he told me of the outstanding work of the Peace Corps volunteers. The crisis in Africa is severe and the problems deeply rooted, but relief efforts are already making a great difference. . (10) Peace Corps senior leaders, staff, and Volunteers have honored President Kennedy’s vision for the Peace Corps and his legacy. During a March 1, 1996, speech for the 35th anniversary of the Peace Corps, Sargent Shriver said, The Peace Corps represents some, if not all, of the best virtues in this society. It stands for everything that America has ever stood for. It stands for everything we believe in and hope to achieve in the world. . (11) The Peace Corps, since its pioneering creation by President Kennedy and an ensuing 65 years of support by the Federal Government, has proven to be one of the most successful United States foreign policy programs in the history of our Nation. The importance of the Peace Corps was reinforced in a May 24, 2017, opinion article by General Colin Powell, retired Secretary of State, when he said, Indeed, we’re strongest when the face of America isn’t only a soldier carrying a gun but a diplomat negotiating peace, a Peace Corps Volunteer bringing clean water to a village, or a relief worker stepping off a cargo plane as floodwaters rise. . (12) The global accomplishments of Volunteers toward world peace and friendship and their resolute service to the United States are deserving of robust public recognition and respect. As President Kennedy said, after signing Executive Order 10924 (26 Fed. Reg. 1789) creating the Peace Corps, The initial reactions to the Peace Corps proposal are convincing proof that we have, in this country, an immense reservoir of such men and women—anxious to sacrifice their energies and time and toil to the cause of world peace and human progress. . (13) Some Volunteers made the ultimate sacrifice while in service. According to the Fallen Peace Corps Volunteers Memorial Project, more than 300 Volunteers have died in service, or following close of service as a result of service-related causes, since the Peace Corps began in 1961. Their significant sacrifices and service to our Nation and their host countries should be honored with reverence. (14) During the COVID–19 pandemic, over 7,000 Volunteers were recalled from their work in host countries. Though they were evacuated for health reasons from their assigned projects, they continued to volunteer when they returned to the United States to support the national response to a global health crisis. Former Peace Corps Director, Josephine (Jody) Olsen, who supervised the complex and immediate recall process, wrote, Odysseys by individual Peace Corps Volunteers forged over six decades made the total evacuation of seven thousand Volunteers due of Covid–19 in 2020 possible. As I sent out the immediate evacuation order on March 15, I trusted that in sixty-one countries, the thousands of host country families, teachers, clinic directors, local taxi drivers, community security officers, airlines, and medical officials that support Volunteers would selflessly offer their help. These thousands shared painful good-byes and supported the safe movement of all of the volunteers to capital cities, international airports, charter flights to the US over the course of nine days without illness or accident. . When Volunteers returned to the United States, many shifted their work to support domestic initiatives, including COVID–19 surveillance and health programs in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA connected Volunteers who returned to the United States with roles in public health for pandemic response efforts in the United States. Meanwhile, the Peace Corps launched the Virtual Service Pilot, allowing Volunteers who returned to the United States and other United States citizens to work remotely with international partners on community projects across sectors like health, education, and agriculture. The Virtual Service Pilot expanded rapidly, demonstrating the potential for virtual service to complement traditional Peace Corps work, providing flexible opportunities for such Volunteers to contribute globally from home. (15) Returned Volunteers promote a better understanding of other peoples and cultures when they share their experiences and knowledge about their service overseas with Americans at home, the third goal of the Peace Corps described in paragraph 8(C). With regard to the third goal, the Peace Corps’ Congressional Budget Justification for Fiscal Year 2026 states that by increasing mutual understanding and lasting ties between the people of the United States and other countries, the Peace Corps helps create better trading partners, strengthens relationships with allies, inhibits extremism, and counteracts the growing influence of America’s adversaries. Volunteers strengthen U.S. national security through improved relations with host governments and by showcasing America as an international leader. The agency also helps cultivate the next generation of U.S. civic and business leaders. Volunteers return home and, for long after the conclusion of their service, contribute the adaptive leadership and entrepreneurial skills they gained during service to American communities. (16) On December 6, 1987, about 120,000 Volunteers and Peace Corps staff received the Beyond War Award. The inscription on the poster for the recipients of the award reads, Presented to the 120,000 Current and Returned Volunteers of the Peace Corps to learn peace, to live peace, and to labor for peace, from the beginning of their service to the end of their lives. A Peace Corps mission statement. . (17) Members of the 107th Congress nominated the Peace Corps for the Nobel Peace Prize. In a June 27, 2002, letter to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, 10 members of the 107th Congress signed the letter saying, The impact of Volunteers on international peace through understanding and cooperation goes far beyond development projects. Volunteers bring people and cultures together. They share ideas and ideals of their home community, but they also learn to speak the language, eat the food, sing the songs, and incorporate the qualities of their host communities into their own lives. They travel overseas to represent the United States, and they return home to represent the world within the United States. The central mission of all Volunteers, both overseas and after they return home, is peace. The Peace Corps and the community of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, represented by the National Peace Corps Association, create the climate, the conditions, the momentum, and the spirit of peace that is needed all over the world. For this reason, they deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. . (18) In February 2011, Members of the 112th Congress recommended to President Barack Obama that the Peace Corps should be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. The letter to President Obama, authored by Congressman Sam Farr, said, For a half-century Peace Corps has served as a vehicle of peace and hope for impoverished communities around the world. Now more than ever, as the world suffers from divisive transnational conflicts and escalating threats, Peace Corps continues to stand as an unparalleled beacon of peace and optimism. Bestowing the Peace Corps with the Nobel Peace Prize will undoubtedly work to promote volunteerism and inspire the next generation of Americans to be peaceful stewards of both their country and the world. . (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the Volunteers should be acknowledged and thanked publicly for their service to the United States and their host countries whenever the appropriate occasions arise. Retired United States Navy Admiral James Stavridis, former North Atlantic Treaty Organization Supreme Allied Commander, said, What someone brings when they come back from typically two years [of Peace Corps service] is just a remarkable sense of our nation and a remarkable sense of the world, and really a … stronger sense of themselves and being part of those bigger things. As a retired military guy … people constantly come up to me and say, Admiral, thank you for your service. And it means a lot to me. It means a lot to every veteran to hear that. So whenever I do an interview where I have a chance to, I say to Peace Corps Volunteers, Thank you for your service. ; (2) the people of the United States are grateful and indebted to Volunteers for their excellence in numerous professional fields, their essential and dedicated contributions to communities of their host countries, their effective means of communicating the American spirit of peace and friendship, and for their sharing of their experiences overseas with individuals in the United States; (3) on behalf of the United States, Congress expresses the highest public gratitude for the distinguished contributions of Volunteers for 65 years. The Congressional Gold Medal is an appropriate award to recognize the outstanding achievements of Volunteers for their valued service to the United States, and their role in promoting world peace and friendship, as a significant component of United States foreign policy; and (4) the production of the gold medal be expedited so that the medal can be presented to the Peace Corps at a respectful ceremony, either at the Capitol Rotunda or at another suitable location, not later than September 22, 2026. 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 single gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration to the Director of the Peace Corps in the District of Columbia, in recognition of the Peace Corps volunteers and their dedicated and distinguished service to our Nation and promotion of world peace and friendship. (b) Design and Striking For purposes of the presentation described in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (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. (c) The Peace Corps (1) In General Following the award of the gold medal under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the Peace Corps headquarters, 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 Director of the Peace Corps should make the gold medal, awarded pursuant to this Act, available for display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations associated with Peace Corps volunteers and that preference should be given to locations affiliated with the Peace Corps. 4. Duplicate medals The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the bronze medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 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 sections 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 6. 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 Sales Amounts received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.