NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to mint and issue: (1) 50 dollar gold coins; and (2) one dollar silver coins emblematic of the 50 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of NASA and JPL.
Directs each Federal agency and U.S. instrumentality that has in its possession any craft or any part of a craft that flew in space to: (1) retrieve any gold, silver, copper, and other metals that are appropriate for use in the production of any coins under this Act from such craft or part; and (2) deposit such metals with the Director of the United States Mint.
Directs each federal agency and U.S. instrumentality that has or continues to conduct space-related missions to make efforts to secure and retrieve from privately-held craft flown in space such gold, silver, copper, and other metals that the Director determines are appropriate for use in the production of any coins under this Act.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bonze duplicates of the $50 gold coins authorized under this Act.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3238 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3238
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration
of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 25, 2006
Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Mr. Nelson of Florida, and Mrs. Hutchison)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration
of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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 ``NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary
Commemorative Coin Act''.
SEC. 2. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the
establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter
in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary) shall mint and issue the
following coins:
(1) $50 gold coins.--Not more than 50,000 $50 gold coins
which shall--
(A) weigh 33.931 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 32.7 millimeters; and
(C) contain 1 troy ounce of fine gold.
(2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 400,000 $1 coins of
each of the 9 designs specified in section 3(a)(3)(B), which
shall--
(A) weigh 26.73 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent
copper.
(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 section 5134 of title 31,
United States Code, all coins minted under this Act shall be considered
to be numismatic items.
(d) Mintage Level Limit.--Notwithstanding the mintage level limit
described under section 5112(m)(2)(A)(ii) of title 31, United States
Code, the Secretary of the Treasury may mint and issue not more than
400,000 of each of the 9 $1 coins authorized to be minted under this
Act.
SEC. 3. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) Design Requirements.--
(1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this
Act shall be emblematic of the 50 years of exemplary and
unparalleled achievements of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
(2) Designation 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 ``2008''; and
(C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God
We Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E
Pluribus Unum'', and such other inscriptions as the
Secretary may determine to be appropriate for the
designs of the coins.
(3) Coin images.--
(A) $50 coins.--
(i) Obverse.--The obverse of the $50 coins
issued under this Act shall bear an image of
the sun.
(ii) Reverse.--The reverse of the $50 coins
issued under this Act shall bear a design
emblematic of the sacrifice of the United
States astronauts who lost their lives in the
line of duty over the course of the space
program.
(iii) Edge.--The edge of the $50 coins
issued under this Act shall bear the names and
dates of the spacecraft missions on which
United States astronauts lost their lives over
the course of the space program.
(iv) High relief.--The design and
inscriptions on the obverse and reverse of the
$50 coins issued under this Act shall be in
high relief.
(B) $1 coins.--
(i) Obverse.--The obverse of the $1 coins
issued under this Act shall bear 9 different
designs each of which shall consist of an image
of 1 of the 9 planets of the solar system,
including Earth.
(ii) Reverse.--The reverse of the $1 coins
issued under this Act shall bear different
designs each of which shall be emblematic of
discoveries and missions of the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory to the planet depicted on the
obverse of the coin, subject to the following
requirements:
(I) Earth coin.--The reverse of the
$1 coins issued under this Act which
bear an image of the Earth on the
obverse shall bear images emblematic
of, and honoring, the discoveries and
missions of the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration, the Mercury,
Gemini and Space Shuttle missions and
other manned Earth-orbiting missions,
and the Apollo missions to the Moon.
(II) Jupiter coin.--The reverse of
the $1 coins issued under this Act
which bear an image of the planet
Jupiter on the obverse shall include a
scientifically accurate depiction of
the Galilean moon Europa and depict
both a past and future mission to
Europa.
(III) Saturn coin.--The reverse of
the $1 coins issued under this Act
which bear an image of the planet
Saturn on the obverse shall include a
scientifically accurate depiction of
the moon Titan and depict both a past
and a future mission to Titan.
(IV) Pluto coin.--The reverse of
the $1 coins issued under this Act
which bear an image of the planet Pluto
on the obverse shall include a design
that is emblematic of telescopic
exploration of deep space by the
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration and the ongoing search
for Earth-like planets orbiting other
stars.
(iii) Edge.--It is the sense of the
Congress that, to the extent practicable, the
edge of each $1 coin should bear the names and
dates or range of dates of missions or mission
types to the planet depicted on the obverse.
(4) Realistic and scientifically accurate depictions.--The
images for the designs of coins issued under this Act shall be
selected on the basis of the realism and scientific accuracy of
the images and on the extent to which the images are
reminiscent of the dramatic and beautiful artwork on coins of
the so-called ``Golden Age of Coinage'' in the United States,
at the beginning of the Twentieth Century, with the
participation of such noted sculptors and medallic artists as
James Earle Fraser, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Victor David
Brenner, Adolph A. Weinman, Charles E. Barber, and George T.
Morgan.
(b) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this Act
shall be--
(1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
and the Commission of Fine Arts; and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coin Advisory Committee.
SEC. 4. SYMBOLIC INCLUSION OF METALS THAT HAVE FLOWN IN SPACE.
(a) Collection.--Each Federal agency and instrumentality of the
United States, including the Department of Defense, the Smithsonian
Institution, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, that has in its possession any craft, or any
part of a craft, that flew in space shall--
(1) retrieve such gold, silver, copper, and other metals
that the Director of the United States Mint determines are
appropriate for use in the production of any coins under this
Act, from such craft or part, that can be retrieved without
harming any such craft or part that may be of continuing use
for its original purpose or for research, or whose preservation
is appropriate for historical purposes; and
(2) deposit such metals so retrieved with the Director of
the United States Mint.
(b) Use of Metals in Production of Coins.--Any metals deposited
with the Director of the United States Mint under subsection (a) shall
be used in the production of the coins struck under this Act by
blending such metals with other metal necessary for the production of
such coins so that all of the coins produced under this Act will
contain some proportion of the bullion obtained from craft or parts of
crafts that flew in space in an amount appropriate for the types and
denominations of the coins and the amount of metals so deposited.
(c) Recordkeeping.--It is the sense of the Congress that each
Federal agency and instrumentality of the United States which retrieves
any metals in accordance with subsection (a) should maintain accurate
and complete records of the retrieval and deposit of any such metals
sufficient to allow the Director of the United States Mint--
(1) to provide certificates of authenticity with coins
issued under this Act that some proportion of the contents of
such coins were obtained from craft or parts of crafts that
flew in space; and
(2) to package with each issued coin a list of the missions
in which such craft flew in space.
(d) Private Spacecraft.--
(1) In general.--Each Federal agency and instrumentality of
the United States that has or continues to conduct space-
related missions shall, in addition to the efforts described in
subsection (a), make efforts to secure and retrieve from
privately-held craft that has flown in space such gold, silver,
copper and other metals that the Director of the United States
Mint determines are appropriate for use in the production of
any coins under this Act.
(2) Recordkeeping.--It is the sense of the Congress that
each Federal agency and instrumentality of the United States
which retrieves any metals pursuant to paragraph (1) from
privately-held craft that has flown in space should comply with
the recordkeeping procedures described in subsection (c) with
respect to such metal.
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be issued
in proof quality only.
(b) Mint Facility.--Only 1 facility of the United States Mint may
be used to strike any particular combination of denomination and
quality of the coins minted under this Act.
(c) Commencement of Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted
under this Act beginning January 1, 2008.
(d) Termination of Minting Authority.--No coins may be minted under
this Act after December 31, 2008.
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) 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.
(c) Presentation.--In addition to the issuance of coins under this
Act in such other methods of presentation as the Secretary of the
Treasury determines to be appropriate, the Secretary shall provide, as
a sale option, a presentation case which displays the $50 gold coin in
the center surrounded by the $1 silver coins in an elliptical orbit.
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.
(a) In General.--All sales of coins minted under this Act shall
include a surcharge as follows:
(1) A surcharge of $50 per coin for the $50 coin.
(2) A surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 coin.
(b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United
States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of
coins issued under this Act shall be promptly distributed as follows:
(1) The first $1,000,000 available for distribution under
this section, to the NASA Family Assistance Fund for the
purposes of providing need-based financial assistance to the
families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries
suffered in the performance of their official duties.
(2) Of amounts available for distribution after the payment
under paragraph (1), \1/2\ to the Secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution for the preservation, maintenance, and display of
space artifacts at the National Air and Space Museum (including
the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center).
(3) Of amounts available for distribution after the payment
under paragraph (1)--
(A) \1/4\ to the Secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution for the preservation, maintenance, and
display of the National Numismatics Collection; and
(B) \1/4\ to the National Numismatic Preservation
Foundation for the preservation, maintenance, and
display of numismatic collectibles.
(c) Audits.--The NASA Family Assistance Fund and the Secretary of
the Smithsonian Institution 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).
(d) Limitation.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), no surcharge may
be included with respect to the issuance under this Act of any coin
during a calendar year if, as of the time of such issuance, the
issuance of such coin would result in the number of commemorative coin
programs issued during such year to exceed the annual 2 commemorative
coin program issuance limitation under section 5112(m)(1) of title 31,
United States Code (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this
Act). The Secretary of the Treasury may issue guidance to carry out
this subsection.
SEC. 8. BRONZE DUPLICATES.
The Secretary may strike and sell bronze duplicates of the $50 gold
coins authorized under this Act, at a price the Secretary determines to
be appropriate.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
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