Father Mychal Judge, O.F.M., Congressional Gold Medal Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal to the next of kin or personal representative of Father Mychal Judge, O.F.M., in recognition of his example to the nation of selfless dedication to duty and compassion for one's fellow citizens.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1027 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1027
To provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of Congress
posthumously to Father Mychal Judge, O.F.M., beloved Chaplain of the
Fire Department of New York who passed away as the first recorded
victim of the September 11, 2001, attacks in recognition of his example
to the Nation of selfless dedication to duty and compassion for one's
fellow citizens.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 10, 2011
Mr. Weiner (for himself, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Bishop of New York, Mr.
Crowley, Mr. Engel, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Israel, Mr. King of
New York, Mrs. Lowey, Mrs. Maloney, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr.
Meeks, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Owens, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Tonko, Ms.
Slaughter, Ms. Hayworth, Mr. Gibson, Mr. Grimm, Mr. Hanna, Mr. Towns,
Ms. Velazquez, and Ms. Clarke of New York) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of Congress
posthumously to Father Mychal Judge, O.F.M., beloved Chaplain of the
Fire Department of New York who passed away as the first recorded
victim of the September 11, 2001, attacks in recognition of his example
to the Nation of selfless dedication to duty and compassion for one's
fellow citizens.
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 ``Father Mychal Judge, O.F.M.,
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Father Mychal Judge, O.F.M., beloved Chaplain of the
Fire Department of New York passed away as the first recorded
victim of the September 11, 2001, after courageously rushing to
the World Trade Center to support, console, and administer last
rites to the victims of the attacks.
(2) A native of Brooklyn, New York, Judge was born on May
11, 1933, to Irish Catholic immigrants from County Leitrim.
(3) After his father died of a long illness when Judge was
6 years old, Judge took odd jobs and shined shoes at Penn
Station to help support his mother and 2 sisters.
(4) Responding to his strong spiritual calling, Judge
entered the Franciscans in 1954.
(5) He trained at 4 seminaries in New York, New Jersey, New
Hampshire, and the District of Columbia and was ordained a
Priest of the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor in 1961.
(6) From 1961 to 1986, Father Judge served at St. Anthony's
Shrine in Boston, Massachusetts, St. Joseph's in East
Rutherford, New Jersey, Sacred Heart in Rochelle Park, New
Jersey, Siena College in Loudonville, New York, and as pastor
at St. Joseph's in West Milford, New Jersey.
(7) In 1986, Father Judge was assigned to the Monastery of
St. Francis of Assisi Church on West 31st Street, New York,
where he served until his death in 2001.
(8) Known for his tremendous capacity for compassion, Judge
was beloved by the firefighters and by the city he served.
(9) Judge would daily send notes or make telephone calls to
recognize birthdays, anniversaries, and other significant dates
in the lives of the people he knew.
(10) In 1994, Father Mychal Judge, O.F.M., was named as one
of the chaplains for the New York Fire Department serving the
boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island.
(11) Father Judge was also well known for ministering to
those often alienated by the Church, including the homeless,
immigrants, recovering alcoholics, gays and lesbians, and
people with AIDS.
(12) In the early 1980s, Judge was also one of the first
clergymen to minister to gay men with AIDS, their partners, and
their families.
(13) Father Mychal Judge's funeral was held on September
15, 2001.
(14) Cardinal Edward Egan presided over a Mass of 3,000
people, including city officials, President Bill Clinton, and
Secretary Hillary Clinton, who called Judge a ``bearer of
light'' and noted his death as a special loss.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of the
Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to the next of kin or
personal representative of Father Mychal Judge, O.F.M., in recognition
of his example to the Nation of selfless dedication to duty and
compassion for one's fellow citizens.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the presentation
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury shall
strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to
be determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
Under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may
prescribe, the Secretary may strike duplicate medals in bronze of the
gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 and sell such duplicate medals
at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the duplicate medals
(including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses)
and the cost of the gold medal.
SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS.
The medals struck under this Act are national medals for purposes
of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
SEC. 6. FUNDING.
(a) Authorization of Charges.--There is authorized to be charged
against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund an amount not to
exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the medals authorized by this
Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate
bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in the United States
Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line