Liberty Bill Act

Liberty Bill Act - Amends federal law to require that the design of the reverse side of all federal reserve notes incorporate: (1) the preamble to the Constitution; (2) a list describing the Articles of the Constitution; and (3) a list describing the Articles of Amendment. Prescribes the design format.

States that such requirements do not limit the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) include other inscriptions or material on the reverse side of such notes; or (2) adopt other design features to deter counterfeiting of currency.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2878 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2878

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to redesign $1 Federal reserve 
  notes so as to incorporate the preamble to the Constitution of the 
United States, a list describing the Articles of the Constitution, and 
 a list describing the Amendments to the Constitution, on the reverse 
                          side of such notes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 14, 2005

  Mr. Cantor introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to redesign $1 Federal reserve 
  notes so as to incorporate the preamble to the Constitution of the 
United States, a list describing the Articles of the Constitution, and 
 a list describing the Amendments to the Constitution, on the reverse 
                          side of such notes.

    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 ``Liberty Bill Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) many Americans are unaware of the provisions of the 
        Constitution of the United States, one of the most remarkable 
        and important documents in world history;
            (2) an abbreviated version of the Constitution, consisting 
        of the preamble, a list of the Articles, and a list of the 
        Amendments, could easily be placed on the reverse side of $1 
        Federal reserve notes;
            (3) the placement of an abbreviated version of the 
        Constitution on $1 Federal reserve notes would remind the 
        American people of the historical importance of the 
        Constitution and its impact on their lives today;
            (4) the preamble would remind Americans of the blessings of 
        liberty;
            (5) the Articles would remind Americans of the framework of 
        the United States Government;
            (6) the Amendments would remind Americans of the historical 
        changes to this living document that forms the very core of the 
        American experience; and
            (7) people throughout the world would also learn about the 
        framework of a republican government, the blessings of liberty, 
        and the ideals of human rights through the exchange of American 
        currency.

SEC. 3. REDESIGN OF REVERSE SIDE OF FEDERAL RESERVE NOTES.

    (a) In General.--Section 5114 of title 31, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(d) Liberty Bills.--
            ``(1) In general.--In addition to the requirements of 
        subsection (b) (relating to the inclusion of the inscription 
        `In God We Trust' on all United States currency) and the 8th 
        undesignated paragraph of section 16 of the Federal Reserve 
        Act, the design of the reverse side of the lowest denomination 
        of Federal reserve notes shall incorporate the preamble to the 
        Constitution of the United States, a list describing the 
        Articles of the Constitution, and a list describing the 
        Amendments to the Constitution.
            ``(2) Design.--Subject to paragraph (3), the preamble to 
        the Constitution of the United States and lists describing the 
        Articles and Amendments of the Constitution shall appear on the 
        reverse side of the $1 Federal reserve notes in the following 
        format:
        <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
        
            ``(3) Authority of secretary.--The requirements of this 
        subsection shall not be construed as--
                    ``(A) prohibiting the inclusion of any other 
                inscriptions or material on the reverse side of Federal 
                reserve notes which the Secretary may determine to be 
                necessary or appropriate; or
                    ``(B) limiting any other authority of the Secretary 
                with regard to the design of Federal reserve notes, 
                including the adoption of any design features to deter 
                the counterfeiting of United States currency.''.
    (b) Date of Application.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
shall apply to the lowest denomination of Federal reserve notes which 
are first placed into circulation after December 31, 2005.
    (c) Sunset Provision.--Federal reserve notes bearing the design 
required under the amendment made by subsection (a) shall only be 
issued during the 2-year period beginning on the date such notes are 
first issued pursuant to subsection (b).
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