Women's History and Nineteenth Amendment Centennial Quarter Dollar Coin Program Act
This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue quarter-dollar coins in commemoration of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote. The design on the reverse of each coin shall be emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of a prominent woman who was a resident of a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory.
Such coins shall be issued in alphabetical order of the area represented, starting with the state of Alabama.
Treasury shall:
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5308 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5308
To amend title 31, United States Code, to require the Secretary of the
Treasury to mint and issue quarter dollars in commemoration of the
Nineteenth Amendment, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 15, 2018
Ms. Lee (for herself and Mr. Poliquin) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 31, United States Code, to require the Secretary of the
Treasury to mint and issue quarter dollars in commemoration of the
Nineteenth Amendment, and for other purposes.
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 ``Women's History and Nineteenth
Amendment Centennial Quarter Dollar Coin Program Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The tireless and passionate efforts of the suffragists,
their supporters, and other stakeholders contributed to the
movement to grant and protect the right of all women to vote.
(2) On August 26, 1920, after a long campaign by
suffragists across the country, the United States Constitution
was amended with the 19th Amendment, granting women the right
to vote.
(3) On June 24, 1924, all Native Americans were granted
citizenship, and by extension the right to vote.
(4) In 1948, the legal victories of Native American
veterans granted protections for the right of all Native men
and women to vote.
(5) On June 27, 1952, the Immigration and Nationality Act
of 1952 was enacted, granting citizenship to all individuals of
Asian descent, and by extension, the right to vote.
(6) Enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on August 6,
1965, granted Black women protections to overcome the legal
barriers that prevented many from exercising their right to
vote even though all Blacks had been granted citizenship in
1868 with ratification of the 14th Amendment.
(7) On August 6, 1975, the amendments to the
reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 removed
language barriers to mitigate discrimination against Hispanic,
Asian, and Native American voters.
(8) It was not until March 29, 1961, when the 23rd
Amendment passed that women in Washington, DC, were allowed to
vote in all elections.
(9) Women's history and the movement for women's rights
that the suffragists began extends beyond ratification of the
Nineteenth Amendment.
(10) August 26, 2020, marks the centennial of the day that
women were granted the right to vote in America.
SEC. 3. ISSUANCE OF COINS COMMEMORATING THE NINETEENTH AMENDMENT.
(a) Amendment to National Sites Quarter Dollar Program.--Subsection
(t) of section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``Notwithstanding the
fourth sentence of subsection (d)(1) and subsection (d)(2)''
and inserting ``Subject to paragraph (8), and notwithstanding
the fourth sentence of subsection (d)(1) and subsection
(d)(2)'';
(2) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following:
``(7) Period of issuance.--Subject to paragraph (2), the
program established under this subsection shall continue in
effect until a national site in each State has been honored and
shall terminate not later than March 31, 2021.''; and
(3) by striking paragraph (8) and inserting the following:
``(8) Designs starting on january 1, 2021.--
``(A) Transition period.--The design of the quarter
dollar from January 1, 2021, to March 31, 2021, shall
be as follows:
``(i) On January 1, 2021, the design shall
be the final design of the national sites
program established by this subsection.
``(ii) On a date selected by the Secretary
that is not earlier than January 15, 2021, and
not later than March 31, 2021, the design shall
be the first design selected pursuant to the
program described in subsection (w).
``(B) Design after end of program.--As of April 1,
2021, the design of the quarter dollar shall be in
accordance with subsection (w).''.
(b) Issuance of Coins Commemorating the Nineteenth Amendment.--
Section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``(w) Redesign and Issuance of Quarter Dollars Commemorating the
Ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.--
``(1) Redesign beginning in 2021.--Notwithstanding the
fourth sentence of subsection (d)(1) and subsection (d)(2),
quarter dollars issued during the period beginning on the date
described in subsection (t)(8)(A)(ii) and ending on the date
described in paragraph (8) shall have designs on the reverse
selected in accordance with this subsection.
``(2) Nineteenth amendment quarter dollar design
requirements.--
``(A) Flexibility with regard to placement of
inscriptions.--Notwithstanding subsection (d)(1), the
Secretary may select a design for quarter dollars
described in paragraph (1) in which--
``(i) the inscription described in the
second sentence of subsection (d)(1) appears on
the reverse side of any such quarter dollars;
and
``(ii) any inscription described in the
third sentence of subsection (d)(1) or the
designation of the value of the coin appears on
the obverse side of any such quarter dollars.
``(B) Single prominent american woman.--
Notwithstanding subsection (d)(1), the design on the
reverse of each coin issued under this subsection
shall--
``(i) be emblematic of the accomplishments
and contributions of a prominent woman who was
a resident of a State, the District of
Columbia, or a territory;
``(ii) bear the name of the prominent woman
and the State, District of Columbia, or
territory; and
``(iii) bear other appropriate
inscriptions.
``(3) Issuance of coins during each year.--
``(A) In general.--The designs for the quarter
dollar coins issued during each year of the period
referred to in paragraph (1) shall be emblematic of a
maximum of 5 States, the District of Columbia, or
territories.
``(B) Order of issuance.--The quarter dollar coins
issued during each year of the period referred to in
paragraph (1) shall be issued in alphabetical order of
the area represented, starting with Alabama.
``(C) Number of each of coin designs in each
year.--The Secretary shall prescribe the number of
quarter dollars which shall be issued with each of the
designs selected for each year.
``(4) Selection of design.--
``(A) In general.--Each of the designs required
under this subsection for quarter dollar coins shall--
``(i) be approved by the Secretary after--
``(I) submission of a
recommendation from the chief executive
of the applicable State, the District
of Columbia, or territory being
commemorated;
``(II) consultation with women's
groups and organizations within the
applicable State, the District of
Columbia, or territory being
commemorated that are pursuing a
mission focused on increasing the
inclusion of women, or improving the
quality of life for women; and
``(III) consultation with the
Commission of Fine Arts;
``(ii) be reviewed by the Citizens Coinage
Advisory Committee; and
``(iii) honor or commemorate a woman who
has made significant contributions to the lives
of individuals of the applicable State, the
District of Columbia, or territory.
``(B) Selection and approval process.--Designs for
quarter dollars may be submitted in accordance with the
design selection and approval process developed by the
Secretary.
``(C) Participation.--The Secretary shall include
in design selection, to the greatest extent
practicable, participation by--
``(i) the chief executive of the applicable
State, District of Columbia, or territory;
``(ii) artists from the States, District of
Columbia, and territories;
``(iii) engravers of the United States
Mint; and
``(iv) members of the general public from
groups or organizations that are pursuing a
mission focused on increasing the inclusion of
women or improving the quality of life for
women.
``(D) Standards.--Because it is important that the
Nation's coinage and currency bear dignified designs of
which the citizens of the United States can be proud,
the Secretary shall not select any frivolous or
inappropriate design for any coin minted under this
subsection.
``(E) Prohibition on certain representations.--The
design of any quarter dollar under this subsection may
not include--
``(i) a head and shoulders portrait or bust
of any person, living or dead;
``(ii) a portrait of a living person; or
``(iii) a depiction of an individual in a
size such that the coin could be considered to
be a `2-headed' coin.
``(F) Release of designs.--Not later than August
31, 2020, the Secretary shall publish each of the first
5 designs described in subparagraph (A).
``(5) Treatment as numismatic items.--For purposes of
sections 5134 and 5136, all coins described under this
subsection shall be considered to be numismatic items.
``(6) Issuance.--
``(A) Quality of coins.--The Secretary may mint and
issue such number of quarter dollars of each design
selected under paragraph (4) in uncirculated and proof
qualities as the Secretary determines to be
appropriate.
``(B) Silver coins.--Notwithstanding subsection
(b), the Secretary may mint and issue such number of
quarter dollars of each design selected under paragraph
(4) as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, with
a content of not less than 90 percent silver.
``(7) Application in event of the admission of additional
state.--If any additional State is admitted into the Union
before the termination date described in paragraph (8), the
Secretary may issue quarter dollar coins, in accordance with
this subsection, with a design which is emblematic of such
State during any 1 year of the period described in paragraph
(1), in addition to the quarter dollar coins issued during such
year in accordance with paragraph (3)(A).
``(8) Termination date.--The authority to issue quarter
dollar coins pursuant to this subsection shall terminate on
December 31 of the year in which the final State or territory
has been commemorated with a design pursuant to paragraph (3).
``(9) Designs after end of program.--On the first day of
the year following the year of the date described in paragraph
(8)--
``(A) the design on the obverse of the quarter
dollar shall revert to the same design containing an
image of President Washington in effect for the quarter
dollar before the institution of the 50-State quarter
dollar program; and
``(B) notwithstanding the fourth sentence of
subsection (d)(1), the design on the reverse of the
quarter dollar shall contain an image of General
Washington crossing the Delaware River prior to the
Battle of Trenton.
``(10) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) The term `territory' means the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States
Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands.
``(B) The term `resident', with respect to a State,
the District of Columbia, or a territory, means that a
woman resided in such State, the District of Columbia,
or such territory for a period of at least 1
consecutive year.
``(x) Silver Bullion Investment Product.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall strike and make
available for sale such number of bullion coins as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate that are exact
duplicates of the quarter dollars issued under subsection (w),
each of which shall--
``(A) have a diameter of 3.0 inches and weigh 5.0
ounces;
``(B) contain .999 fine silver;
``(C) have incused into the edge the fineness and
weight of the bullion coin;
``(D) bear an inscription of the denomination of
such coin, which shall be `quarter dollar'; and
``(E) not be minted or issued by the United States
Mint as so-called `fractional' bullion coins or in any
size other than the size described in subparagraph (A).
``(2) Availability for sale.--Bullion coins minted under
paragraph (1)--
``(A) shall become available for sale no sooner
than the first day of the calendar year in which the
circulating quarter dollar coins of which such bullion
coins are a duplicate are issued; and
``(B) may only be available for sale during the
year in which such circulating quarter dollar coins are
issued.''.
SEC. 4. COLLECTION AND RECOGNITION PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Not later than December 1, 2018, the Secretary of
the Treasury shall initiate a program to promote the collection of, and
recognition of the subjects of, the coins authorized under the
amendments made by this Act.
(b) Study Required.--The Secretary shall conduct a study on the
progress of the program described in subsection (a).
(c) Report.--Not later than March 1, 2019, the Secretary shall
submit a report to the Congress on the results of the study conducted
pursuant to subsection (b).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
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