Women's Suffrage Centennial Commemorative Coin Act
PL 116-71 (H.R.2423), enacted 11/25/2019

[116th Congress Public Law 71]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 133 STAT. 1147]]

Public Law 116-71
116th Congress

                                 An Act


 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration 
of ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United 
         States, giving women in the United States the right to 
              vote. <<NOTE: Nov. 25, 2019 -  [H.R. 2423]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Women's Suffrage 
Centennial Commemorative Coin Act. 31 USC 5112 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Women's Suffrage Centennial 
Commemorative Coin Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized the 
        first Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. 68 
        women and 32 men signed the Declaration of Sentiments at the 
        Convention in July 1848.
            (2) The Declaration of Sentiments was modeled after the 
        Declaration of Independence and declared that ``all men and 
        women are created equal'', linking women's rights directly to 
        the founding ideals of the United States.
            (3) Suffrage activists, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 
        Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells, 
        Jovita Idar, Inez Millholland, Mary Church Terrell, Anne Dallas 
        Dudley, Carrie Chapman Catt, Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, Esther 
        Hobart Morris, and many others, conducted over 900 local, State, 
        and Federal campaigns over a 72-year time span to win women the 
        right to vote.
            (4) On November 6, 1917, New York granted women the right to 
        vote, which was an act that created momentum for the national 
        movement that culminated in the ratification of the 19th 
        Amendment to the Constitution of the United States 3 years 
        later.
            (5) The 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United 
        States (``The Susan B. Anthony Amendment'') guarantees all 
        United States women the right to vote and was passed by the 66th 
        Congress of the United States on June 4, 1919.
            (6) On August 9, 1920, right before the ratification period 
        was set to expire, Governor Albert H. Roberts called a special 
        session of the Tennessee General Assembly to consider the 
        amendment. Pro-suffrage and anti-suffrage activists from around 
        the country descended on Nashville, Tennessee, intent on 
        influencing the legislature.
            (7) After the amendment was defeated in a 48-48 tie vote, 
        Tennessee State Representative Harry T. Burn from McMinn

[[Page 133 STAT. 1148]]

        County cast the deciding favorable vote after receiving a note 
        from his mother, Phoebe Ensminger Burn, imploring him to vote 
        yes for ratification.
            (8) On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th and final 
        State needed to pass the 19th Amendment, ensuring its 
        ratification pursuant to Article V of the Constitution of the 
        United States.
            (9) The 19th Amendment was ratified on August 26, 1920, when 
        Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby issued a proclamation 
        announcing it has become part of the Constitution of the United 
        States.
            (10) The ratification of the 19th Amendment marked the 
        single largest extension of voting rights in United States 
        history, enfranchising 27,000,000 American women in the United 
        States.

    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is--
            (1) to honor and commemorate the work of women suffrage 
        activists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries;
            (2) to increase public awareness and appreciation for the 
        history of the women's suffrage movement; and
            (3) to encourage all women in the United States to exercise 
        their hard-won franchise and to become involved in civic life if 
        they so choose.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

    (a) $1 Silver Coins.--The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in 
this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue not more 
than 400,000 $1 coins, which shall--
            (1) weigh 26.73 grams;
            (2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
            (3) contain at least 90 percent silver.

    (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.
SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COIN.

    (a) Design Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this 
        Act shall be emblematic of the women who played a vital role in 
        rallying support for the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of 
        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 ``2020''; and
                    (C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God 
                We Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E 
                Pluribus Unum''.

    (b) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this Act 
shall--
            (1) contain motifs that honor Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth 
        Cady Stanton, Carrie Chapman Catt, Harriet Tubman, Mary Church 
        Terrell, Alice Paul, Lide Meriwether, Ida B. Wells, and other 
        suffrage activists of the late 19th century and early 20th 
        centuries;

[[Page 133 STAT. 1149]]

            (2) <<NOTE: Consultation.>>  be selected by the Secretary, 
        after consultation with the Smithsonian Institution's American 
        Women's History Initiative, and the Commission of Fine Arts; and
            (3) <<NOTE: Review.>>  be reviewed by the Citizens Coinage 
        Advisory Committee.
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

    (a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be issued 
in uncirculated and proof qualities.
    (b) Mint Facilities.--Only one facility of the United States Mint 
may be used to strike any particular quality of the coins minted under 
this Act.
    (c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins under this 
Act only during the period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on 
December 31, 2020.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.

    (a) In General.--All sales of coins issued under this Act shall 
include a surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 coin described under 
section 3(a).
    (b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United 
States Code, and section 8(2), all surcharges received by the Secretary 
from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be promptly paid by 
the Secretary to the Smithsonian Institution's American Women's History 
Initiative for the purpose of--
            (1) collecting, studying, and establishing programs relating 
        to women's contributions to various fields and throughout 
        different periods of history that have influenced the direction 
        of the United States; and
            (2) creating exhibitions and programs that recognize diverse 
        perspectives on women's history and contributions.

    (c) Audits.--The Smithsonian Institution's American Women's History 
Initiative 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).
SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.

    The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure 
that--

[[Page 133 STAT. 1150]]

            (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, shall be 
        disbursed to any recipient designated in section 7(b) 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.
SEC. 9. 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 Congressional 
Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

    Approved November 25, 2019.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 2423:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 165 (2019):
            Oct. 28, considered and passed House.
            Oct. 31, considered and passed Senate.
DAILY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS (2019):
            Nov. 25, Presidential remarks.

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