In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.

[EX Q]: SECTION 1. CONSERVATION FLEX PROGRAM OPTION.

    (a) Establishment of Program.--The Agricultural Act of 1949 is 
amended by inserting after section 115 (7 U.S.C. 1445k) the following 
new section:
``SEC. 116. CONSERVATION FLEX PROGRAM OPTION.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a voluntary 
conservation flex program option to assist producers of agricultural 
commodities in adopting integrated, site-specific farm management plans 
through the reduction of farm program barriers to resource stewardship 
practices and systems.
    ``(b) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section:
            ``(1) The term `program' means the conservation flex 
        program option established under this section.
            ``(2) The term `plan' means a site-specific farm management 
        plan prepared by the producer and approved by the Secretary.
            ``(3) The term `alternative crops' means experimental and 
        industrial crops which conserve soil and water.
            ``(4) The term `breeding cattle' means bulls, dams, and 
        heifers held solely for the production of calves, but shall not 
        include weaned calves being grown for slaughter or dairy 
        cattle.
            ``(5) The term `legume' means any legume, including 
        alfalfa, clover, lentils, lupine, medic, peas, soybeans, and 
        vetch grown for use as a forage, green manure, or biomass 
        feedstock, but not including any pulse crop from which the 
        seeds are harvested and sold for purposes other than use as 
        seed for planting.
            ``(6) The term `resource-conserving crop' means legumes, 
        grasses, brassica cover crops and forages, alternative crops, 
        any interseeded or relay-planted combination of such crops, any 
        interseeded or relay-planted combination of such crops and 
        small grains, and such other crops as the Secretary may 
        designate.
            ``(7) The term `resource-conserving crop rotation' means a 
        crop rotation which includes at least one resource-conserving 
        crop and that reduces erosion, maintains or improves soil 
        fertility, tilth and structure, interrupts pest cycles, or 
        conserves water.
            ``(8) The term `rotational grazing' means planting forage, 
        dividing pastures into paddocks, and using grazing rotations to 
        increase forage quality and production, improve vegetative 
        cover, and reduce sediment and nutrient runoff.
            ``(9) The term `small grains' means any small grain, 
        including barley, buckwheat, oats, rye, spelt, and triticale, 
        but not including wheat, except for wheat grown for nonhuman 
        consumption.
            ``(10) The term `special conservation practices' means 
        field borders, contour grass strips, grass waterways, filter 
        strips, grass windbreaks, buffer areas, wildlife habitat 
        plantings, habitat plantings for beneficial organisms that aid 
        in the control of pests, and such other practices as the 
        Secretary may designate.
    ``(c) Eligible Producers.--To be eligible to participate in the 
program, a producer must prepare and submit to the Secretary for 
approval a site-specific farm management plan, which may at the 
producer's option be integrated with any conservation plan developed 
pursuant to section 1212 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
3812) and any other conservation or natural resource plan required for 
producer participation in any program within the jurisdiction of the 
Secretary.
    ``(d) Agreements.--Upon the approval of a plan submitted by a 
producer under subsection (c), the Secretary shall enter into an 
agreement with the producer that specifies the crop acreage bases being 
enrolled in the program. The agreement shall be for a period of not 
less than one year, nor more than seven years, as determined by the 
producer. The agreement may be renewed upon the mutual agreement of the 
Secretary and the producer.
    ``(e) Producer Responsibilities Under Agreement.--Under the terms 
of an agreement entered into under subsection (d), a producer shall 
agree--
            ``(1) to actively comply with the terms and conditions of 
        the applicable plan, as approved by the Secretary;
            ``(2) to devote to a resource-conserving crop--
                    ``(A) not less than 15 percent of the crop acreage 
                bases of the producer enrolled under such program; or
                    ``(B) not less than 15 percent of the producer's 
                total crop acres, if the sum of resource-conserving 
                crop acres on non-base acres and total crop acreage 
                bases on the farm does not exceed the county average 
                base-to-cropland ratio; and
            ``(3) to keep such records as the Secretary may reasonably 
        require for purposes of program evaluation.
    ``(f) Requirements of the Plan.--To be approved by the Secretary, a 
plan submitted by a producer must--
            ``(1) specify the crop acreage bases the producer chooses 
        to enroll in the program;
            ``(2) describe the resource-conserving crop rotation, 
        special conservation practices, rotational grazing, or biomass 
        production operations and practices to be implemented and 
        maintained on such acreage during the agreement period which 
        fulfill the purposes of the program;
            ``(3) contain a schedule for the implementation, 
        improvement and maintenance of the resource-conserving crop 
        rotation, special conservation practices, rotational grazing, 
        or biomass operations and practices described in the plan; and
            ``(4) contain such other terms as the Secretary may 
        require.
    ``(g) Program Administration, Certification, and Termination.--
            ``(1) Program administration, technical assistance, and 
        flexibility.--
                    ``(A) Administration.--The program shall be 
                administered by the Secretary.
                    ``(B) Technical assistance.--In administering the 
                program, the Secretary, in consultation with the local 
                conservation districts and any State or local 
                authorities deemed appropriate by the Secretary, shall 
                provide technical assistance to a producer in 
                developing and implementing a plan, evaluating the 
                effectiveness of a plan, and assessing the costs and 
                benefits of farming operations and practices. If 
                requested by a producer, the Secretary shall provide 
                technical assistance to help the producer comply with 
                Federal, State, and local requirements designed to 
                protect soil, wetlands, wildlife habitat, the quality 
                of ground water and surface water, or other natural 
                resources.
                    ``(C) Flexibility.--In administering the program, 
                the Secretary shall provide sufficient flexibility for 
                a producer to revise the producer's plan to respond to 
                changes in market conditions, weather, or technology or 
                to adjust and modify the farming operation, except that 
                such revisions must be consistent with the purposes of 
                the program and approved by the Secretary.
            ``(2) Certification.--The Secretary shall certify producer 
        compliance with the terms and conditions of the plan.
            ``(3) Termination.--The Secretary may terminate an 
        agreement entered into with a producer under this program if--
                    ``(A) the producer agrees to such termination; or
                    ``(B) the producer violates the terms and 
                conditions of such agreement.
    ``(h) Program Rules.--
            ``(1) Base and yield protection.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of law, the Secretary shall not reduce crop acreage 
        bases or farm program payment yields as a result of the 
        planting of a resource-conserving crop.
            ``(2) Payment acres.--Notwithstanding any other provision 
        of law, the Secretary shall not reduce any farm program loans, 
        payments, or benefits of a program participant as a result of 
        the planting of a resource-conserving crop.
            ``(3) Payment rate.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, the Secretary shall provide deficiency payments on 
        resource-conserving crop acreage eligible for payments at a 
        rate not less than the projected deficiency payment rate, as 
        determined and announced each year by the Secretary prior to 
        the period during which producers may agree to participate in 
        the program.
            ``(4) Payment acre protection.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of law, the Secretary shall not reduce the payment 
        acres or the established price for a program participant who 
        has entered into an agreement with the Secretary for a fixed 
        period of time.
            ``(5) Resource-conserving crops on normal flex acreage.--
        Acreage devoted to resource-conserving crops under this program 
        may, at the discretion of the producer, be designated as normal 
        flex acreage.
            ``(6) Adjustments in production adjustment requirements.--
        Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall 
        make fair and equitable adjustments in acreage limitation 
        requirements applicable to a producer participating in the 
        program giving due consideration to crop rotation, special 
        conservation practices, rotational grazing, biomass production, 
        and other appropriate factors resulting from the implementation 
        of a plan. If the Secretary determines that the reduction in 
        program crop production on a participating farm referred to in 
        the preceding sentence will equal or exceed any reduction in 
        crop production which, in the absence of participation in the 
        program, would occur as a result of acreage limitation 
        requirements, the Secretary shall waive such acreage limitation 
        requirements for the farm. If the resource conserving crop 
        includes a farm program feed grain crop planted on the base 
        acres of another farm program feed grain crop, the Secretary 
        shall take into account the established or county average yield 
        of the two feed grains for the purposes of making the 
        adjustment or waiver.
            ``(7) Total base acreage flexibility.--Notwithstanding any 
        other provision of law, the Secretary shall allow participants 
        in this program to plant farm program crops and oilseeds in any 
        proportion on a producer's total acreage of farm program crop 
        base and historic oilseeds acreage without affecting farm 
        program payments.
            ``(8) Crop insurance.--Notwithstanding any other provision 
        of law, acreage devoted to resource-conserving crops under this 
        program shall be eligible for crop insurance pursuant to the 
        Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.).
            ``(9) Haying and grazing restriction.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall not make any 
                farm program payments to a producer, who is otherwise 
                eligible to receive such payments, for acreage enrolled 
                in the program if the producer, during the consecutive 
                five month period in each State in which haying and 
                grazing of conserving use acres may be prohibited under 
                the provisions of this Act, grazes breeding cattle or 
                nursing calves or harvests and sells hay on payment 
                acres.
                    ``(B) Transition option.--The restriction in 
                subparagraph (A) shall not apply in the case of a 
                producer who agrees to retire all base acreage enrolled 
                in the program at the end of the agreement period.
                    ``(C) Emergency haying and grazing.--The Secretary 
                shall release acreage devoted to resource-conserving 
                crops for emergency haying and grazing as the result of 
                a natural disaster when the Secretary permits unlimited 
                haying and grazing on--
                            ``(i) reduced acreage under this Act;
                            ``(ii) acreage devoted to a conservation 
                        use under this Act;
                            ``(iii) acreage diverted from production 
                        under a land diversion program established 
                        under this Act; or
                            ``(iv) acreage enrolled in the conservation 
                        reserve program under the Food Security Act of 
                        1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801 et seq.).''.
    (b) Conforming Repeal.--Section 1451 of the Food, Agriculture, 
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5822) is repealed.
[EX A]: Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a voluntary conservation flex program which will permit producers to adopt integrated site-specific farm management plans.  Includes within such plans resource-conserving crops, crop rotation, and rotational grazing.

[EX Q]: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Entrepreneur and 
Microenterprise Assistance Act''.

SEC. 2. RURAL ENTREPRENEUR AND MICROENTERPRISE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    Subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act is 
amended by inserting after section 364 (7 U.S.C. 2006f) the following:

``SEC. 365. RURAL ENTREPRENEUR AND MICROENTERPRISE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Economically disadvantaged microentrepreneur.--The 
        term `economically disadvantaged microentrepreneur' means an 
        owner, majority owner, or developer of a microenterprise that 
        has the ability to compete in the private sector but has been 
        impaired because of diminished capital and credit 
        opportunities, as compared to other microentrepreneurs in the 
        industry.
            ``(2) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian tribe' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
            ``(3) Intermediary.--The term `intermediary' means a 
        private, nonprofit entity that provides assistance--
                    ``(A) to a microenterprise development 
                organization; or
                    ``(B) for a microenterprise development program.
            ``(4) Low-income individual.--The term low-income 
        individual means an individual with an income (adjusted for 
        family size) of not more than the greatest of--
                    ``(A) 80 percent of median income of an area;
                    ``(B) 80 percent of the statewide non-metropolitan 
                area median income; or
                    ``(C) 80 percent of the national median income.
            ``(5) Microcredit.--The term `microcredit' means a business 
        loan or loan guarantee of not more than $50,000 that is 
        provided to a rural entrepreneur.
            ``(6) Microenterprise.--The term `microenterprise' means--
                    ``(A) a sole proprietorship; or
                    ``(B) a business entity with not more than 10 full-
                time-equivalent employees.
            ``(7) Microenterprise development organization.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `microenterprise 
                development organization' means a private, nonprofit 
                entity that--
                            ``(i) provides training and technical 
                        assistance to rural entrepreneurs; and
                            ``(ii) facilitates access to capital or 
                        another service described in subsection (b) for 
                        rural entrepreneurs.
                    ``(B) Inclusions.--The term `microenterprise 
                development organization' includes an organization 
                described in subparagraph (A) with a demonstrated 
                record of delivering services to economically 
                disadvantaged microentrepreneurs, or an effective plan 
                to develop a program to deliver microenterprise 
                services to rural entrepreneurs effectively, as 
                determined by the Secretary.
            ``(8) Microenterprise development program.--The term 
        `microenterprise development organization' means a program 
        administered by an organization serving a rural area.
            ``(9) Microentrepreneur.--The term `microentrepreneur' 
        means the owner, operator, or developer of a microenterprise.
            ``(10) Program.--The term `program' means the rural 
        entrepreneur and microenterprise program established under 
        subsection (b)(1).
            ``(11) Qualified organization.--The term `qualified 
        organization' means--
                    ``(A) a microenterprise development organization or 
                microenterprise development program that has a 
                demonstrated record of delivering microenterprise 
                services to rural entrepreneurs, or an effective plan 
                to develop a program to deliver microenterprise 
                services to rural entrepreneurs effectively, as 
                determined by the Secretary.
                    ``(B) an intermediary that has a demonstrated 
                record of delivery assistance to microenterprise 
                development organizations or microenterprise 
                development programs;
                    ``(C) a microenterprise development organization or 
                microenterprise development program that serves rural 
                entrepreneurs;
                    ``(D) an Indian tribe, the tribal government of 
                which certifies to the Secretary that no 
                microenterprise development organization or 
                microenterprise development program exists under the 
                jurisdiction of the Indian tribe;
                    ``(E) a group of 2 or more organizations or Indian 
                tribes described in any of subparagraphs (A) through 
                (D) that agree to act jointly as a qualified 
                organization under this section; or
                    ``(F) for purposes of subsection (b), a public 
                college or university.
            ``(12) Rural area.--The term `rural area' means any 
        community that is rural in character and has a population of 
        not more than 25,000 individuals.
            ``(13) Rural capacity building service.--The term `rural 
        capacity building service' means a service provided to an 
        organization that--
                    ``(A) is, or is in the process of becoming, a 
                microenterprise development organization or 
                microenterprise development program; and
                    ``(B) serves rural areas for the purpose of 
                enhancing the ability of the organization to provide 
                training, technical assistance, and other related 
                services to rural entrepreneurs.
            ``(14) Rural entrepreneur.--The term `rural entrepreneur' 
        means a microentrepreneur, or prospective microentrepreneur--
                    ``(A) the principal place of business of which is 
                in a rural area; and
                    ``(B) that is unable to obtain sufficient training, 
                technical assistance, or microcredit elsewhere, as 
                determined by the Secretary.
            ``(15) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture, acting through the Rural Business-Cooperative 
        Service.
            ``(16) Tribal government.--The term `tribal government' 
        means the governing body of an Indian tribe.
    ``(b) Rural Entrepreneurship and Microenterprise Program.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a rural 
        entrepreneurship and microenterprise program.
            ``(2) Purpose.--The purpose of the program shall be to 
        provide low-income individuals and moderate-income individuals 
        with--
                    ``(A) the skills necessary to establish new small 
                businesses in rural areas; and
                    ``(B) continuing technical and financial assistance 
                as individuals and business starting or operating small 
                businesses.
            ``(3) Grants.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may make a grant 
                under the program to a qualified organization--
                            ``(i) to provide training, operational 
                        support, or a rural capacity building service 
                        to a qualified organization to assist the 
                        qualified organization in developing 
                        microenterprise training, technical assistance, 
                        market development assistance, and other 
                        related services, primarily for business with 5 
                        or fewer full-time-equivalent employees;
                            ``(ii) to assist in researching and 
                        developing the best practices in delivering 
                        training, technical assistance, and microcredit 
                        to rural entrepreneurs; and
                            ``(iii) to carry out such other projects 
                        and activities as the Secretary determines to 
                        be consistent with the purposes of this 
                        section.
                    ``(B) Subgrants.--Subject to such regulations as 
                the Secretary may promulgate, a qualified organization 
                that receives a grant under this paragraph may use the 
                grant to provide assistance to other qualified 
                organizations, such as small or emerging qualified 
                organizations.
                    ``(C) Diversity.--In making grants under this 
                paragraph, the Secretary shall ensure, to the maximum 
                extent practicable, that grant recipients include 
                qualified organizations--
                            ``(i) of varying sizes; and
                            ``(ii) that serve racially- and ethnically-
                        diverse populations.
                    ``(D) Cost sharing.--
                            ``(i) Federal share.--The Federal share of 
                        the cost of a project carried out using funds 
                        from a grant made under this paragraph shall be 
                        75 percent.
                            ``(ii) Form of non-federal share.--The non-
                        Federal share of the cost of a project 
                        described in clause (i) may be provided--
                                    ``(I) in cash (including through 
                                fees, grants (including community 
                                development block grants), and gifts); 
                                or
                                    ``(II) in kind.
            ``(4) Rural microloan program.--
                    ``(A) Establishment.--In carrying out the program, 
                the Secretary may carry out a rural microloan program.
                    ``(B) Purpose.--The purpose of the rural microloan 
                program shall be to provide technical and financial 
                assistance to sole proprietorships and small businesses 
                located in rural areas with a particular focus on those 
                businesses with 5 or fewer full-time equivalent 
                employees.
                    ``(C) Authority of secretary.--In carrying out the 
                rural microloan program, the Secretary may--
                            ``(i) make direct loans to qualified 
                        organizations for the purpose of making short-
                        term, fixed interest rate microloans to 
                        startup, newly established, and growing rural 
                        microbusiness concerns; and
                            ``(ii) in conjunction with those loans, 
                        provide grants in accordance with subparagraph 
                        (E) to those qualified organizations for the 
                        purpose of providing intensive marketing, 
                        management, and technical assistance to small 
                        business concerns that are borrowers under this 
                        paragraph.
                    ``(D) Loan duration; interest rates; conditions.--
                            ``(i) Loan duration.--A loan made by the 
                        Secretary under this paragraph shall be for a 
                        term of 20 years.
                            ``(ii) Applicable interest rates.--A loan 
                        made by the Secretary under this paragraph to a 
                        qualified organization shall bear an annual 
                        interest rate of at least 1 percent.
                            ``(iii) Deferral of interest and 
                        principal.--The Secretary may permit the 
                        deferral of payments, for principal and 
                        interest, on a loan made under this paragraph 
                        for a period of not more than 2 years, 
                        beginning on the date on which the loan was 
                        made.
                    ``(E) Grant amounts.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Except as otherwise 
                        provided in this section, each qualified 
                        organization that receives a loan under this 
                        paragraph shall be eligible to receive a grant 
                        to provide marketing, management, and technical 
                        assistance to small business concerns that are 
                        borrowers or potential borrowers under this 
                        subsection.
                            ``(ii) Maximum amount of grant for 
                        microenterprise development organizations.--
                        Each microenterprise development organization 
                        that receives a loan under this paragraph shall 
                        receive an annual grant in an amount equal to 
                        not more than 25 percent of the total 
                        outstanding balance of loans made to the 
                        microenterprise development organization under 
                        this paragraph, as of the date of provision of 
                        the grant.
                            ``(iii) Matching requirement.--
                                    ``(I) In general.--As a condition 
                                of any grant made to a qualified 
                                organization under this subparagraph, 
                                the Secretary shall require the 
                                qualified organization to match not 
                                less than 15 percent of the total 
                                amount of the grant.
                                    ``(II) Sources.--In addition to 
                                cash from non-Federal sources, a 
                                matching share provided by the 
                                qualified organization may include 
                                indirect costs or in-kind contributions 
                                funded under non-Federal programs.
    ``(c) Administrative Expenses.--Not more than 10 percent of 
assistance received by a qualified organization for a fiscal year under 
this section may be used to pay administrative expenses.
    ``(d) Funding.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, and on October 1, 2008, and each October 
        1 thereafter through October 1, 2012, out of any funds in the 
        Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the Secretary of the 
        Treasury shall transfer to the Secretary to carry out this 
        section $50,000,000, to remain available until expended.
            ``(2) Allocation of funds.--Of the amount made available by 
        paragraph (1) for each fiscal year--
                    ``(A) not less than $30,000,000 shall be available 
                for use in carrying out subsection (b)(3); and
                    ``(B) not less than $20,000,000 shall be available 
                for use in carrying out subsection (b)(4), of which not 
                more than $7,000,000 shall be used to support direct 
                loans.
                    ``(C) Receipt and acceptance.--The Secretary shall 
                be entitled to receive, shall accept, and shall use to 
                carry out this section the funds transferred under 
                paragraph (1), without further appropriation.''.
[EX A]: Rural Entrepreneur and Microenterprise Assistance Act - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a rural entrepreneur and microenterprise (sole proprietorship or business entity with not more than 10 full-time employees) program to help low- and moderate- income individuals acquire: (1) necessary skills to establish small rural businesses; and (2) technical and financial assistance.

Authorizes the Secretary to carry out a related rural microloan program to provide technical and financial assistance to sole proprietorships and small rural businesses with a particular focus on businesses with five or fewer full-time employees.

[EX Q]: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``First Rhode Island Regiment 
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) During the winter of Valley Forge, from 1777-1778, the 
        Continental Army had difficulty recruiting the necessary quotas 
        of men set by the Congress.
            (2) At the same time, the State of Rhode Island was ordered 
        to supply two battalions while faced with the occupation of the 
        City of Newport by the British.
            (3) In January 1778, at the urging of Brigadier General 
        James Varnum, General George Washington wrote to Governor 
        Nicholas Cooke of the State of Rhode Island requesting 
        assistance recruiting men for the Continental Line.
            (4) On February 14, 1778, the Rhode Island General Assembly 
        voted to allow the enlistment of ``every able-bodied negro, 
        mulatto, or Indian man slave''.
            (5) In addition, the Rhode Island General Assembly provided 
        that any enlisted slave ``upon his passing muster before 
        Colonel Christopher Greene, be immediately discharged from the 
        service of his master or mistress, and be absolutely free as 
        though he had never been incumbered and be incumbered with any 
        kind of servitude or slavery.''.
            (6) As a result, between February 1778 and June 1778, 
        Colonel Christopher Greene, Lt. Colonel Jeremiah Olney and 
        Major Samuel Ward recruited almost 200 men of African and 
        Native American descent who formed the core of the First Rhode 
        Island Regiment.
            (7) The First Rhode Island Regiment became among the first 
        units in American History in which men of every race and 
        ethnicity were recruited to serve.
            (8) On August 28, 1778, at the Battle of Rhode Island, 
        following an attempted siege of British-occupied Newport along 
        with the newly allied French fleet, the First Rhode Island 
        Regiment acted heroically in holding back Hessian forces and 
        causing them to retreat.
            (9) During the Battle of Rhode Island, the First Rhode 
        Island Regiment's losses included three killed, nine wounded 
        and eleven missing soldiers.
            (10) For an additional 5 years, the First Rhode Island 
        Regiment fought bravely to win American independence including 
        at Fort Oswego, Saratoga, and Yorktown.
            (11) On June 13, 1783, at Saratoga, the First Rhode Island 
        Regiment was demobilized.
            (12) Their commander, Colonel Jeremiah Olney, praised the 
        Regiment for ``faithfully preserving in the best of causes, in 
        every stage of service, with unexampled fortitude and patience 
        through all the danger and toils of a long and severe war''.
            (13) Afterwards, some veterans of the First Rhode Island 
        Regiment had to consistently resist efforts at re-enslavement 
        and fought for back wages from the Rhode Island General 
        Assembly.
            (14) According to the Rhode Island State Archives, the 
        First Rhode Island Regiment included at least the following 
        soldiers: Babcock, Priamus (Primus); Bent, Prince; Bours, Cato; 
        Brown, Priamus (Primus); Burk, Africa; Burroughs, John; 
        Carpenter, Cudgo; Champlin, Dick; Champlin, Jack; Champlin, 
        July; Champlin, Newport; Champlin, Sharper; Champlin, York; 
        Clark, James; Coddington, Jack; Fones, Jack; Gardner, Cuff; 
        Gardner, Hercules; Gardner, Minkl; Gardner, Preamus (Primus); 
        Gardner, Rutter; Gray, Ebenezer; Green, Cuff; Greene, Cato; 
        Greene, Jack; Greene, Pero; Greene, William; Hammond, Prince; 
        Harriss, Cesar; Hazard, Backus; Hazard, Jabin; Hazard, Jacob; 
        Hazard, Peter; Hazard, Peter; Lefavour, Thom; Mason, Warsen; 
        Mawney, Cyrus; Minturn, Jack; Mowrey, Pero; Nichols, Thomas; 
        Perry, Ganset; Phillips, Philow; Pierce, Titus; Potter, David; 
        Randall, Prince; Rhodes, Bristol; Rhodes, Priamus; Rhodes, 
        Richard; Rhodes, Samuel; Richmond, Ebenezer; Robinson, Mingo; 
        Rodman, Isaac; Rodman, Mingo; Rodman, Prince; Rose, Cesar; 
        Saltonstall, Brittain; Saunders, Sampson; Sheldon, Cesar; 
        Slave; Slave; Smith, Juba; Sweeling, Query; Talbot, Sigby; 
        Tanner, Quam; Tillinghast, Cuff; Updike, Cesar; Updike, Moses; 
        Vaughan, Prince; Vernon, Cato; Watson, Fortune; Wells, Cesar; 
        Wickes, Nat; and Willbour, Boston.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives 
and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate 
arrangements for the award, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold 
medal of appropriate design to the First Rhode Island Regiment, 
collectively in recognition of their dedicated service during the 
Revolutionary War.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to 
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike the 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 in 
        honor of the First Rhode Island Regiment of the Revolutionary 
        War under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the 
        Smithsonian Institution, where it will be displayed 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 the 
        First Rhode Island Regiment of the Revolutionary War.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the 
Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal 
struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the 
medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--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.
[EX A]:
First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act  Requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment, collectively, in recognition of their service during the Revolutionary War. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such medal at a price sufficient to cover the costs of such medals.