Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act
(Sec. 3) This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 400,000 half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Negro National League, a professional baseball league that was formed in response to African-American players being banned from baseball's major leagues.
(Sec. 4) The design of the coins shall be emblematic of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and its mission to promote tolerance, diversity, and inclusion.
(Sec. 7) All surcharges from sales of these coins shall be paid to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for educational and outreach programs and exhibits.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2321 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2321
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint a coin in
commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Negro
Leagues baseball.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 30, 2019
Mr. Blunt (for himself and Mr. Kaine) 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 a coin in
commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Negro
Leagues baseball.
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 ``Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial
Commemorative Coin Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the
establishment of the Negro National League, a professional
baseball league formed in response to African-American players
being banned from the major leagues.
(2) On February 13, 1920, Andrew ``Rube'' Foster convened a
meeting of 8 independent African-American baseball team owners
at the Paseo YMCA in Kansas City, Missouri, to form a ``league
of their own,'' establishing the Negro National League, the
first successful, organized professional African-American
baseball league in the United States.
(3) Soon, additional leagues formed in eastern and southern
States.
(4) The Negro Leagues would operate for 40 years until
1960.
(5) The story of the Negro Leagues is a story of strong-
willed athletes who forged a glorious history in the midst of
an inglorious era of segregation in the United States.
(6) The passion of the Negro Leagues players for the
``National Pastime'' would not only change the game, but also
the United States.
(7) The creation of the Negro Leagues provided a playing
field for more than 2,600 African-American and Hispanic
baseball players to showcase their world-class baseball
abilities.
(8) The Negro Leagues introduced an exciting brand of
baseball that was in stark contrast to Major League Baseball.
(9) A fast, aggressive style of play attracted black and
white fans who sat together to watch those games at a time when
it was virtually unheard of to interact socially in such a way.
(10) Negro Leagues baseball would become a catalyst for
economic development across the United States in major urban
centers such as Kansas City, St. Louis, New York, Memphis,
Baltimore, Washington, DC, Chicago, and Atlanta.
(11) The Negro Leagues pioneered ``Night Baseball'' in
1930, 5 years before Major League Baseball, and would introduce
game-changing innovations such as shin guards and the batting
helmet.
(12) The Negro Leagues helped make the National Pastime a
global game as players from the Negro Leagues--
(A) were the first people from the United States to
play in many Spanish-speaking countries; and
(B) introduced professional baseball to the
Japanese in 1927.
(13) Jackie Robinson, a military veteran and former member
of the Negro Leagues' Kansas City Monarchs, would break Major
League Baseball's color barrier on April 15, 1947, with the
Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for other African-American and
Hispanic baseball players.
(14) The Negro Leagues were born out of segregation yet
would become a driving force for social change in the United
States.
(15) The Negro Leagues produced future Major League
Baseball stars, including Leroy ``Satchel'' Paige, Larry Doby,
Willie Mays, Henry Aaron, Ernie Banks, and Roy Campanella.
(16) The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum was established in
Kansas City, Missouri, in 1990--
(A) to save from extinction a precious piece of
Americana and baseball history; and
(B) to use the many life lessons of the powerful
story of triumph over adversity of Negro Leagues
players to promote tolerance, diversity, and inclusion.
(17) In 2006, Congress granted National Designation to the
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, recognizing it as ``America's
Home'' for Negro Leagues baseball history.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in
this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue the
following coins:
(1) $5 gold coins.--Not more than 50,000 $5 coins, which
shall--
(A) weigh 8.359 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and
(C) contain not less than 90 percent gold.
(2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 400,000 $1 coins, which
shall--
(A) weigh 26.73 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(C) contain not less than 90 percent silver.
(3) Half-dollar clad coins.--Not more than 750,000 half-
dollar coins which shall--
(A) weigh 11.34 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and
(C) be minted to the specifications for half-dollar
coins contained in section 5112(b) of title 31, United
States Code.
(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.
SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) Design Requirements.--
(1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this
Act shall be emblematic of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
and its mission to promote tolerance, diversity, and inclusion.
(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 ``2021''; and
(C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God
We Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E
Pluribus Unum''.
(b) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this Act
shall be--
(1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the Commission of Fine Arts;
and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be issued
in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) Mint Facilities.--Only 1 facility of the United States Mint may
be used to strike any particular quality of the coins minted under this
Act.
(c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted
under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning on January 1,
2021.
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) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the coins
issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
(c) 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.
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.
(a) In General.--All sales of coins issued under this Act shall
include a surcharge of--
(1) $35 per coin for the $5 coin;
(2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin; and
(3) $5 per coin for the half-dollar coin.
(b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f)(1) of title 31,
United States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the
sale of coins issued under this Act shall be promptly paid by the
Secretary to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for educational and
outreach programs and exhibits.
(c) Audits.--The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum 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. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.
The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure
that--
(1) minting and issuing coins under this Act will not
result in any net cost to the United States Government; and
(2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, are
disbursed to any recipient designated in section 7 until the
total cost of designing and issuing all of the coins authorized
by this Act (including labor, materials, dies, use of
machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping) is
recovered by the United States Treasury, consistent with
sections 5112(m) and 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S1612-1613)
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S1613)
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S1613)
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Received in the House.
Held at the desk.
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