Sultana Steamboat Disaster Commemorative Coin Act of 2024
This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 100,000 $5 gold coins, 500,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the Sultana steamboat explosion that occurred on April 27, 1865, on the Mississippi River.
All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of such coins must be paid to the Sultana Historical Preservation Society Inc. for the purpose of establishing, operating, and maintaining a museum.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7801 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7801
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins to honor and
memorialize the tragedy of the Sultana steamboat explosion of 1865.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 22, 2024
Mr. Crawford (for himself, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr.
Hill, Mr. Westerman, Mr. Womack, Mr. Graves of Missouri, Mr. Connolly,
Mr. Krishnamoorthi, and Mr. Takano) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins to honor and
memorialize the tragedy of the Sultana steamboat explosion of 1865.
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 ``Sultana Steamboat Disaster
Commemorative Coin Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On April 27, 1865, the Sultana, a Mississippi River
paddlewheel steamboat, exploded killing nearly 1,200 of the
2,137 passengers and crew on board. Based on the number of
recorded casualties, this event is the worst maritime disaster
in United States history.
(2) Those aboard the boat were mostly paroled Union
soldiers recently released from the Confederate prisoner-of-war
camps in Cahaba, Alabama, and Andersonville, Georgia. These men
largely hailed from Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan,
Kentucky, and West Virginia.
(3) The Sultana disaster was overshadowed by other major
events surrounding the end of the American Civil War, including
the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on April 15,
1865, and subsequently, the killing of President Lincoln's
assassin, John Wilkes Booth, on April 26, 1865, just 1 day
before the Sultana disaster.
(4) The Sultana Historical Preservation Society now
operates the Sultana Disaster Museum in Marion, Arkansas, with
artifacts, stories, and exhibits that tell this story. Plans
and fundraising are progressing for a much larger facility that
can better acquire and preserve the Sultana history.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--In recognition and remembrance of the tragedy
of the Sultana steamboat explosion of 1865, which is the greatest
maritime disaster in United States history, the Secretary of the
Treasury (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'')
shall mint and issue the following coins:
(1) $5 gold coins.--Not more than 100,000 $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 500,000 $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 sections 5134 and 5136 of
title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 4. DESIGNS OF COIN.
(a) Design Requirements.--The designs of the coins minted under
this Act shall be emblematic of the historical significance of the
Sultana disaster and the sacrifice of the many people of the United
States who died and survived on April 27, 1865.
(b) Designation and Inscriptions.--On each coin minted under this
Act, there shall be--
(1) a designation of the value of the coin;
(2) an inscription of the year ``2027''; and
(3) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God We
Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E Pluribus Unum''.
(c) Selection.--The designs for the coins minted under this Act
shall be--
(1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the
Sultana Historical Preservation Society Inc. 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) Period of Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted under
this Act only during the 1-year period beginning on January 1, 2027.
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) 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 Sultana Historical Preservation Society Inc. for the purpose of
establishing, operating, and maintaining a museum to tell the story of
the Sultana, including--
(1) constructing the museum facility;
(2) creating, maintaining, and updating as necessary museum
exhibits;
(3) acquiring and preserving artifacts, memorabilia, and
historic sites related to the Sultana disaster; and
(4) maintaining an operational reserve fund for the
purposes described in this subsection.
(c) Audits.--The Sultana Historical Preservation Society Inc. shall
be subject to the audit requirements of section 5134(f) 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 enactment of this Act).
The Secretary 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 the 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 House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
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