Monuments Men Recognition Act of 2014

[113th Congress Public Law 116]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 128 STAT. 1179]]

Public Law 113-116
113th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To grant the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the Monuments 
     Men, in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation, 
protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of 
 cultural importance during and following World War II. <<NOTE: June 9, 
                         2014 -  [H.R. 3658]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Monuments Men 
Recognition Act of 2014. 31 USC 5111 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Monuments Men Recognition Act of 
2014''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) On June 23, 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt formed 
        the ``American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of 
        Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas''.
            (2) The Commission established the Monuments, Fine Arts, and 
        Archives (``MFAA'') Section under the Allied Armies.
            (3) The men and women serving in the MFAA Section were 
        referred to as the ``Monuments Men''.
            (4) These individuals had expertise as museum directors, 
        curators, art historians, artists, architects, and educators.
            (5) In December 1943, General Dwight D. Eisenhower empowered 
        the Monuments Men by issuing orders to all commanders that 
        stated they must respect monuments ``so far as war allows''.
            (6) Initially the Monuments Men were intended to protect and 
        temporarily repair the monuments, churches, and cathedrals of 
        Europe suffering damage due to combat.
            (7) Hitler and the Nazis engaged in a pre-meditated, mass 
        theft of art and stored priceless works in thousands of art 
        repositories throughout Europe.
            (8) The Monuments Men adapted their mission to identify, 
        preserve, catalogue, and repatriate almost 5,000,000 artistic 
        and cultural items which they discovered.
            (9) This magnitude of cultural preservation was 
        unprecedented during a time of conflict.
            (10) The Monuments Men grew to no more than 350 individuals 
        and joined front line military forces; two Monuments Men lost 
        their lives in action.
            (11) Following the Allied victory, the Monuments Men 
        remained abroad to rebuild cultural life in Europe through 
        organizing art exhibitions and concerts.

[[Page 128 STAT. 1180]]

            (12) Many of the Monuments Men became renowned directors and 
        curators of preeminent international cultural institutions, 
        professors at institutions of higher education, and founders of 
        artistic associations both before and after the war.
            (13) The Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of 
        Art was founded in 2007 to honor the legacy of the men and women 
        who served as Monuments Men.
            (14) There are only five surviving members of the Monuments 
        Men as of December 2013.
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 in commemoration to 
Monuments Men, in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation, 
protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of 
cultural importance during and following World War II.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 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.
    (c) Smithsonian Institution.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in 
        honor of the Monuments Men, the gold medal shall be given to the 
        Smithsonian Institution, where it will be available for display 
        as appropriate and available for research.
            (2) Sense of the congress.--It is the sense of the Congress 
        that the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal 
        awarded pursuant to this Act available for display elsewhere, 
        particularly at appropriate locations associated with the 
        Monuments Men, and that preference should be given to locations 
        affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to 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 pursuant to this Act are 
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States 
Code.

[[Page 128 STAT. 1181]]

    (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of title 31, 
United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be considered 
to be numismatic items.

    Approved June 9, 2014.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 3658:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 160 (2014):
            May 19, considered and passed House.
            May 20, considered and passed Senate.

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