To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration to the servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021, during the evacuation of citizens of the United States and Afghan allies at Hamid Karzai International Airport, and for other purposes.
PL 117-72 (H.R.5142), enacted 12/16/2021

[117th Congress Public Law 72]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 135STAT. 1511]]

Public Law 117-72
117th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration to 
   the servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021, 
during the evacuation of citizens of the United States and Afghan allies 
          at Hamid Karzai International Airport, and for other 
            purposes. <<NOTE: Dec. 16, 2021 -  [H.R. 5142]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: 31 USC 5111 
note.>> 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) At 9:44 A.M., on August 26, 2021, the Pentagon confirmed 
        that one explosion occurred at the Hamid Karzai International 
        Airport.
            (2) The explosion was confirmed to be a suicide bombing by 
        ISIS-K terrorist group.
            (3) Estimates as high as 200 deaths were reported, including 
        13 servicemembers of the United States, as well as hundreds more 
        wounded.
            (4) The attack on Thursday, August 26, 2021, at the Hamid 
        Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, killed 13 
        United States servicemembers, making it the deadliest single day 
        of the war for the United States in more than a decade.
            (5) The American servicemembers went above and beyond the 
        call of duty to protect citizens of the United States and our 
        allies to ensure they are brought to safety in an extremely 
        dangerous situation as the Taliban regained control over 
        Afghanistan.
            (6) The American servicemembers exemplified extreme bravery 
        and valor against armed enemy combatants.
            (7) The American servicemembers dedicated their lives and 
        their heroism deserves great honor.
            (8) <<NOTE: Maxton Soviak. Kareem Nikoui. David 
        Espinoza. Rylee McCollum. Jared Schmitz. Hunter Lopez. Taylor 
        Hoover. Daegan William-Tyeler Page. Nicole Gee. Humberto 
        Sanchez. Dylan Merola. Johanny Rosario Pichardo. Ryan Knauss.>>  
        Maxton Soviak, Kareem Nikoui, David Espinoza, Rylee McCollum, 
        Jared Schmitz, Hunter Lopez, Taylor Hoover, Daegan William-
        Tyeler Page, Nicole Gee, Humberto Sanchez, Dylan Merola, Johanny 
        Rosario Pichardo, and Ryan Knauss have been identified as the 13 
        servicemembers who died from the blast while stationed at Hamid 
        Karzai International Airport.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS.

    (a) Presentations Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate

[[Page 135STAT. 1512]]

shall make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on 
behalf of the Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design in 
commemoration to the 13 servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan, on 
August 26, 2021.
    (b) <<NOTE: Determination.>>  Design and Striking.--For the purposes 
of the presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the 
Treasury (hereafter 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) Smithsonian Institution.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal under 
        subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian 
        Institution, 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 
        Smithsonian Institution shall make the gold medal received under 
        paragraph (1) available for display outside of the District of 
        Columbia at times, particularly at other locations associated 
        with the 13 servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan on August 
        26, 2021.
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    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 thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.
SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medal struck pursuant to this Act is a 
national medal 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.
SEC. 5. 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 Sale.--The amounts received from the sale of 
duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 3 shall be deposited 
into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
SEC. 6. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

    The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with 
the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by 
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO 
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the

[[Page 135STAT. 1513]]

Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, 
provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on 
passage.

    Approved December 16, 2021.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 5142:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 167 (2021):
            Oct. 25, considered and passed House.
            Nov. 17, considered and passed Senate.

                                  <all>