An act to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Bob Dole, in recognition for his service to the nation as a soldier, legislator, and statesman
PL 115-60 (S.1616), enacted 09/15/2017

131 STAT. 1154 
PUBLIC LAW 115–60—SEPT. 15, 2017 
Public Law 115–60 
115th Congress 
An Act 
To award the Congressional Gold Medal to Bob Dole, in recognition for his service 
to the nation as a soldier, legislator, and statesman. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bob Dole Congressional Gold 
Medal Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Bob Dole was born on July 22, 1923, in Russell, Kansas. 
(2) Growing up during the Great Depression, Bob Dole 
learned the values of hard work and discipline, and worked 
at a local drug store. 
(3) In 1941, Bob Dole enrolled at the University of Kansas 
as a pre-medical student. During his time at KU he played 
for the basketball, football, and track teams, and joined the 
Kappa Sigma Fraternity, from which he would receive the 
‘‘Man of the Year’’ award in 1970. 
(4) Bob Dole’s collegiate studies were interrupted by WWII, 
and he enlisted in the United States Army. During a military 
offensive in Italy, he was seriously wounded while trying to 
save a fellow soldier. Despite his grave injuries, Dole recovered 
and was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with 
an Oak Cluster for his service. He also received an American 
Campaign Medal, a European-African-Middle Eastern Cam-
paign Medal, and a World War II Victory Medal. 
(5) While working on his law degree from Washburn 
University, Bob Dole was elected into the Kansas House of 
Representatives, serving from 1951–1953. 
(6) Bob Dole was elected into the U.S. House of Representa-
tives and served two Kansas districts from 1961–1969. 
(7) In 1969, Bob Dole was elected into the U.S. Senate 
and served until 1996. Over the course of this period, he served 
as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Chairman 
of the Finance Committee, Senate Minority Leader, and Senate 
Majority Leader. 
(8) Bob Dole was known for his ability to work across 
the aisle and embrace practical bipartisanship on issues such 
as Social Security. 
(9) Bob Dole has been a life-long advocate for the disabled 
and was a key figure in the passing of the Americans with 
Disabilities Act in 1990. 
Bob Dole 
Congressional 
Gold Medal Act. 
31 USC 5111 
note. 
Sept. 15, 2017 
[S. 1616] 
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131 STAT. 1155 
PUBLIC LAW 115–60—SEPT. 15, 2017 
(10) After his appointment as Majority Leader, Bob Dole 
set the record as the nation’s longest-serving Republican Leader 
in the Senate. 
(11) Several Presidents of the United States have specially 
honored Bob Dole for his hard work and leadership in the 
public sector. This recognition is exemplified by the following: 
(A) President Reagan awarded Bob Dole the Presi-
dential Citizens Medal in 1989 stating, ‘‘Whether on the 
battlefield or Capitol Hill, Senator Dole has served America 
heroically. Senate Majority Leader during one of the most 
productive Congresses of recent time, he has also been 
a friend to veterans, farmers, and Americans from every 
walk of life. Bob Dole has stood for integrity, straight 
talk and achievement throughout his years of distinguished 
public service.’’. 
(B) Upon awarding Bob Dole with the Presidential 
Medal of Freedom in 1997, President Clinton made the 
following comments, ‘‘Son of the soil, citizen, soldier and 
legislator, Bob Dole understands the American people, their 
struggles, their triumphs and their dreams . . . In times 
of conflict and crisis, he has worked to keep America united 
and strong . . . our country is better for his courage, his 
determination, and his willingness to go the long course 
to lead America.’’. 
(12) After his career in public office, Bob Dole became 
an active advocate for the public good. He served as National 
Chairman of the World War II Memorial Campaign, helping 
raise over $197 million to construct the National WWII Memo-
rial, and as Co-Chair of the Families of Freedom Scholarship 
Fund, raising over $120 million for the educational needs of 
the families of victims of 9/11. 
(13) From 1997–2001, Bob Dole served as chairman of 
the International Commission on Missing Persons in the 
Former Yugoslavia. 
(14) In 2003, Bob Dole established The Robert J. Dole 
Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas to encourage 
bipartisanship in politics. 
(15) Bob Dole is a strong proponent of international justice 
and, in 2004, received the Golden Medal of Freedom from 
the President of Kosovo for his support of democracy and 
freedom in Kosovo. 
(16) In 2007, President George W. Bush appointed Bob 
Dole to co-chair the President’s Commission on Care for Amer-
ica’s Returning Wounded Warriors, which inspected the system 
of medical care received by U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq 
and Afghanistan. 
(17) Bob Dole was the co-creator of the McGovern-Dole 
International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, 
helping combat child hunger and poverty. In 2008, he was 
co-awarded the World Food Prize for his work with this 
organization. 
(18) Bob Dole is co-founder of the Bipartisan Policy Center 
which works to develop policies suitable for bipartisan support. 
(19) Bob Dole is a strong advocate for veterans, having 
volunteered on a weekly basis for more than a decade on 
behalf of the Honor Flight Network. 
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131 STAT. 1156 
PUBLIC LAW 115–60—SEPT. 15, 2017 
(20) Bob Dole serves as Finance Chairman of the Campaign 
for the National Eisenhower Memorial, leading the private 
fundraising effort to memorialize President Dwight D. Eisen-
hower in Washington, DC. 
(21) Bob Dole was acknowledged by many organizations 
for his achievements both inside and outside of politics, 
including being awarded the ‘‘U.S. Senator John Heinz Award 
for Outstanding Public Service By An Elected Official’’, the 
Gold Good Citizenship Award, the American Patriot Award, 
the Survivor’s Gratitude Award, the U.S. Association of Former 
Member of Congress Distinguished Service Award, a Distin-
guished Service Medal, the French Legion of Honor medal, 
the Horatio Alger Award, the U.S. Defense Department’s Distin-
guished Public Service Award, the National Collegiate Athletic 
Association’s Teddy Roosevelt Award, the Albert Schweitzer 
Medal ‘‘for outstanding contributions to animal welfare’’, the 
2004 Sylvanus Thayer Award, and honorary degrees from the 
University of Kansas, Fort Hays State University, and the 
University of New Hampshire School of Law. 
(22) Throughout his life-long service to our country, Bob 
Dole has embodied the American spirit of leadership and deter-
mination, and serves as one of the most prolific role models 
both in and outside of politics. 
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 
(a) AWARD AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall 
make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Con-
gress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to Bob Dole, in recogni-
tion for his service to the nation as a soldier, legislator, and states-
man. 
(b) DESIGN
AND STRIKING.—For the purpose of the award 
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred 
to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall strike a gold medal with 
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by 
the Secretary. 
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the 
gold medal struck under section 3 under such regulations as the 
Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost 
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal. 
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 
(a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck under this Act are 
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United 
States Code. 
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131 STAT. 1157 
PUBLIC LAW 115–60—SEPT. 15, 2017 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1616: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 163 (2017): 
Aug. 3, considered and passed Senate. 
Sept. 5, considered and passed House. 
(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. 
Approved September 15, 2017. 
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